Visakhapatnam: The National Green Tribunal (NGT), acting on a petition filed by a local NGO Chaitanya Sravanthi, had asked the Visakhapatnam Port Trust (VPT) to comply with pollution norms and report every three months on the ambient air quality and other pollution levels in and around the port area. The NGT had also hinted at taking action against the port authorities by way of restraining the coal handling if the pollution levels are not controlled.
“The State Pollution Control Board shall also submit the quarterly AAQ monitoring reports along with inspection reports by filing in the Registry, starting with the quarter ending with 30-6-2017 as per the aforesaid schedule which will also be placed before the Tribunal for perusal and further orders, if any, required. We make it clear that if we find any slackness in implementing the plan and neglecting the pollution control measures and if there is no perceptible reduction of dust emission and improvement of the air quality, we will be constrained to invoke ‘Polluter Pays’ principle and even restrain the respondent Port Trust from handling coal cargo,” said the NGT order.
“NGT also asked the VPT to furnish quarterly reports to the petitioner,” said Founder of Chaitanya Sravanthi, Shirin Rehman. Though the main prayer of the applicant is to issue an order of injunction restraining the port from operating any coal cargo, whether by way of import or export, out of its unit at Port area, NGT was not inclined to grant such relief considering the fact that the Port is already implementing various pollution control measures. Its activities are regularly monitored by the AP Pollution Control Board and also keeping in view the concept of ‘Sustainable Development’ as coal is the major source of fuel, particularly for the thermal power plants.
“However, we direct the Port Trust to scrupulously implement the Environment Management Plan with short, medium and long term measures and submit quarterly progress reports by filing in the Registry with a copy to the applicant starting with the quarter ending with 30-6-2017 as per a schedule which will be placed before the Tribunal for perusal and for further orders, if necessary,” said the order.
