Sesa Goa Ltd has been directed to stop all activities at their coke oven plant within 48 hours, until further orders. On Monday, Navelim in Bicholim taluka, north Goa, where the plant is housed, observed a bandh protesting air pollution caused by soot emerging from the plant.
Goa state pollution control board (GSPCB) issued the directions on Monday under Section 31(A) of the Air (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1981 and Section 33(A) of the Water (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1974.
The board also directed Sesa Goa to take all necessary precautions by carrying out root cause analysis for misfiring of burners during preheating of the coke oven and submit preventive measures the company proposes to undertake so as to ensure that such incidents are not repeated. “Make necessary arrangement for collection of the deposits of carbon soot from the residential areas, temple, fields, storm water drains, nallahs etc”, the directions issued by GSPCB member secretary Levinson Martins state.
Courtesy: TOI
