NT NETWORK
PANAJI
A solution to air pollution in mining areas could come up soon if the Goa State Pollution Control Board gives its approval to a roadmap submitted by the Indian School of Mines, Dhanbad, on Wednesday.
The roadmap that is actually a comprehensive framework to curb pollution could play a major role in granting consent to operate to leaseholders including the 12 mines in Sonshi village in Sattari taluka.
A senior source at the GSPCB said the roadmap prepared by the ISM will be put up for approval first.
“It will be vetted by scientific and engineers before it is put up to the board for approval,” the source said adding that once accepted it will act like a guide to future measures to control pollution in mining areas.
The ISM was consulted by mining companies to work on a roadmap that laid down the template on number of issues relating to pollution. The draft plan by the ISM was first submitted on June 26, followed by the final plan on Wednesday.
Representatives of all mining companies and GSPCB officials were in attendance on both days of presentation of the roadmap by experts from the mining college.
Mining companies have been criticised over high levels of air pollution at Sonshi. The ambient air quality reading in the village was much higher than normal, promoting the GSPCB not to renew the consent to operate to leaseholders and also asked for bank guarantees.
Reports on air quality by the pollution board revealed that mining companies violated environment norms at Sonshi. However, companies contested the reports and alleged that GSPCB readings were erroneous as instruments used by the board were not maintained properly.
The mining industry asked for an independent agency to check air pollution and also lay down basic guideline for future standards to be followed in monitoring and controlling pollution.
Accordingly the ISM was roped in by the industry.
The roadmap submitted by the ISM lays down standard operating practices to be followed in monitoring pollution such as location of the air monitoring stations, who has to do monitoring, etc.
It also outlines pollution controlling measures such as wheel-washing systems, road sweeping machines, audit protocol in mining areas, etc.
The roadmap suggests short, medium and long-term measures to curb pollution. The short-term measures have to be fulfilled by October 2017.
Medium-term measures must be abided between six months to a year and long term beyond a year.