<p>Affidavit filed by the Member Secretary, Puducherry Pollution Control Committee in the matter of News Item titled "Pollution Control Boards are the weak link" appearing in Deccan Herald dated
The Goa Pollution Control Board (GPCB) on Wednesday collected samples of coal and coke dust from the Vasco fishing jetty. Following demands from the Mormugao Bachao Abhiyan (MBA), the GPCB had installed a Mobile Respriable Dust Sampler unit at the fishing jetty on Tuesday at 8 am. After a gap of 24 hours, GPCB officials removed the unit and collected the samples. That the coal and coke dust levels were high seemed evident as the machine was covered with coal and coke dust, visible to the naked eye, despite the ongoing strike that has paralysed coal and coke handling operations at Berths 10 and 11 at the port. Admitting that there was coal and coke dust pollution, GPCB officials, however, declined to comment on the actual dust levels and only stated that the samples would be sent for tests. Speaking to Herald, MBA Convener Simon Pereira said: "The unit was installed on Tuesday and within 24 hours, coal and coke dust has settled on the unit, even though coal and coke handling operations have stopped due to the strike. Because of the 2000-odd workers, the entire population of Mormugao has to suffer.' A senior citizen, who was present at the site when officials collected the samples, claimed that coal dust enters his flat and settles on the floor, fan and clothes, creating a lot of inconvenience. Agreed Councillor Lavina Pinto: "Coal dust has created a lot of problems as it enters the houses along the costal belt of Khariwada. People have to clean their homes at least twice a day and the dust has also affected the health of the children.' Another Councillor Arnald Rego admitted that ailments like Asthma have been on the rise in the Port town. Residents at the site accused the Rojgar Bachao Abhiyan (RBA) of racking up the issue of coal for their personal benefits. They alleged that most truck and shovel owners are direct beneficiaries of the Mormugao Port Trust (MPT), while citizens have had to suffer from the coal dust.
By June this year, the bio-medical waste generated from municipal and private hospitals and medical institutions will be stored and disposed of at a common bio-medical waste treatment facility at Deonar dumping ground. The BMC will soon start developing the common disposal facility over 4,000 sq metre of land at Deonar. The work has been awarded to SMSL-Watergrace Products (joint-venture) on BOOT (build, own, operate and transfer) basis for 20 years. The development is significant as only last month, the Bombay High Court came down heavily on hospitals not complying with Bio-medical Waste (Management and Handling) Rules, 1998, and had sent notices to erring hospitals, including the civic KEM and Bhagwati hospital and state-government's JJ hospital. The court had stated that such hospitals would be ordered to close down if they failed to comply with the rules within the stipulated time. The facility is being developed in consultation with the Maharashtra Pollution Control Board (MPCB) which had suggested that the BMC review the policy for bio-medical disposal by appointing a separate operator for collection, transportation and treatment system instead of separate agencies. In 2000, the civic body had entrusted E A Infrastructure Operations Pvt Ltd the treatment of bio-medical waste generated in the city for a period of 10 years. The treatment facility at Sewree started in 2002. However, a year later the incinerator started facing problems and had to be closed down due to technical problems. In the meantime, anatomical waste was treated at the incinerator plant at Taloja. The civic administration also decided to appoint divisionwise contractors to transport and treat the anatomical waste at Taloja, but MPCB suggested that there should not be separate agencies for collection/transportation and another for disposal. Accordingly, with the help of MPCB as 'project management consultancy' the BMC finalised an operator. An expert committee of officials from the government, academicians and representatives from hospitals associations helped in selecting--SMSL-Watergrace products (JV). The BMC will pay Rs 21.22 lakh to the MPCB as
Calcutta is to have a "detailed, scientific plan' to combat the effects of climate changes, courtesy a World Bank initiative. A three-member team from the bank was in town recently to kick off the project, which will use a simulated model to predict Calcutta's vulnerability to climate changes till 2050 and prepare a survival roadmap. "Calcutta is among the 10 cities in the world that are most vulnerable to climate changes. The Bengal government has okayed a World Bank proposal to launch an initiative to predict the changes,' said state environment secretary K.L. Meena.
Plastic garbage is playing havoc with mother earth. From villages to cities plastics are being used in such a way that the whole country seems to be a heap of plastic garbage. A Nagpur based company has taken initiative to use plastic garbage in producing petro products. Dr Jhadgaonkar related to this company, gave information to municipal corporation and MP Pollution Control Board officials about the scheme of converting plastic garbage into petro products. Earlier, this scheme went to bite dust due to the negligence of officials. Now, the work of implementing this scheme has started.
Come June 5 (environment day), the owners or drivers of diesel vehicles will have to produce a valid "pollution under control' certificate at petrol pumps for a refill. The state environment department has decided on the move to ensure that diesel vehicles
Saving the Maidan's green cover from pollution and turning it into the Guild's "permanent fair ground' is possible, provided the state government, the pollution control board and the ordinary book lover unite, city-based environmentalists said. The 32nd Kolkata Book Fair could not be held this year, due to the lack of a "permanent fair ground' and a token book fair is being organised at the Salt Lake stadium in March. Environmentalists think the amount of footfall at the book fair and pollution from vehicles are the two factors harmful to the Maidan's environment.
The Orissa Pollution Control Board (OPCB) on Monday issued a closure notice to Bhushan Power and Steel (BPSL) for not making arrangements for the suitable disposal of solid waste. BPSL has been asked to stop all production till further orders, failing which stringent penal proceedings would be initiated against the company. BPSL currently produces 1.2 million tonnes of steel, which would subsequently be raised to 2.2 million tonnes through expansion drives.
Advertisement
People living along Manusmara river in Bihar’s Sitamarhi district dread kala pani
While the Magh Mela at the Sangam in Allahabad attracted tens of thousands of pilgrims each day over the last month for their annual dips, as usual, the UP government can sigh with relief that there were no protests this time, unlike during the Ardha Kumbh Mela in January last year when sadhus threatened to take
