ABDUL WAHAB KHAN | NT
PANAJI
A study carried out by the Goa State Pollution Control Board on air quality at the mining hub of Sonshi in Sattari taluka since May 2 has found that the air quality measurement equipment installed by the mining companies in the village were manipulated, as a result the air quality has been shown far below the permissible level.
A report presented by ten mining companies to the board on Monday shows falsely recorded air quality standard below the safe level; within 20-30 microgram per cubic metre (mpcm).
However, the board has disputed the mining firms’ readings on air quality. According to the GSPCB data on ambient air quality, the respirable particulate matter (RPM or PM10), which directly affects breathing, has gone up by over seven to eight times at Sonshi from the national ambiance air quality standard of 100 mpcm.
The air pollutants have increased to extremely high levels exceeding the permissible level recorded at 14 air quality monitoring stations located in and around Sonshi mines – from 200 to 800 microgram per cubic metre.
Ambient air quality monitoring stations measure real time and peak concentration levels of dangerous pollutants in air. Interestingly, six to seven air quality monitoring stations installed by the mine owners have recorded fake air quality readings through manipulation of the machines.
Thirteen mine leases had been given consent to operate by the board, and of which only 10 operated.
Despite the suspension of mining activities by the board at Sonshi from April 28, the mining companies have repeatedly defied the board order and continued with their operations.
However, it was found that for two days – April 30 and May 1 – mining had been completely halted by the mine owners. But on the subsequent days some six mining firms resumed work and extracted iron ore till May 5. And from May 7 a major mining company still continued with its operations till May 13 making around 3800 trips of mining trucks.
The High Court of Bombay at Goa had also said that there should be no mining-related vehicular traffic on Sonshi’s roads till the show-cause notices issued by the GSPCB are decided upon.
But the record shows that since April 29 on an average about 3000-4000 trips were made on daily basis.
Respirable particulate matter (PM10) are the pollutants which carry toxic (including carcinogenic) trace substance and enter the respiratory system irritating lung tissue and causing long-term disorders.
After taking into account various reports and the current pollution scenario, the board withheld the renewal of consent of 13 mine leases asking the mining firms to take air and water pollution preventive measures.
The board has now decided to take a final call whether to grant or reject the consent of Sonshi mine operators on Friday after analysing the report compiled by the mining firms.