Black ash pollutes Surat’s posh areas, GPCB mum

Surat : For many years, tens of thousands of people have been living in a setting close to hell in the posh areas of Vesu, Magdalla, and Piplod in Surat, India’s diamond capital.

When the Gujarat government, the Southern Gujarat Chamber of Commerce and Industry (SGCC), and environmentalists talk about environmental conservation and reducing the harmful effects of pollution, alarm bells ring due to the massive pollution caused by open coal storage on private and government plots near Surat’s Magdalla port.

Huge heaps of coal was clearly apparent during The Blunt Times team’s visit to the open fields near the Magdalla Port. The coal dust flying from the massive mounds was significantly high, making it difficult to travel on the motorbike without face masks. Coal dealers near the Magdalla Port have been flagrantly violating the Gujarat Government’s coal storage guidelines.

The coal handling equipment near the Magdalla Port have flagrantly violated government regulations. According to the recommendations, the coal heap should not be taller than 5 metres, and the clear distance between two neighbouring heaps at G.L. should be 5 metres, so that an approach is possible in the event of a fire. A mechanised loading/unloading system should be installed from the loading/unloading area to the stacking yards and into the vehicles.

The coal handling unit/Agency must take all necessary corrective actions to address the issue of air pollution at the permitted coal storage/handling area where coal is stored. The coal handling unit/agency shall ensure that all trucks, before leaving the storage yard, are completely covered with tarpaulin or any other effective measure/device, that trucks are not overloaded, and that there is no spillage during transportation.

Darshan Naik, general secretary of the Gujarat Congress Pradesh Committee (GPCC), has filed a memorandum to the Member Secretary of the GPCB outlining the pervasive coal pollution and its negative impacts on the health of tens of thousands of people in the city’s upscale regions.

Darshan Naik told The Blunt Times, “We conducted a survey in households near the Magdalla Port in Vesu, Magdalla, and Piplod.” We discovered that the coal ash from the illegal coal storage plots settles on the terraces and inside the residents’ homes. Because the Tapi river is only 200 metres away, the coal ash is destroying aquatic life and thereby harming the ecosystem on a much bigger scale.”

Previously, concerned citizens and environmentalists brought the issue of coal pollution to the attention of the GPCB and the district collector, but the coal mafias continue to harm the environment and the health of hundreds of people for large monetary profits. The Magdalla Port receives a large amount of coal from both domestic and foreign destinations. The coal is being kept on open plots near the port, clearly in violation of the coal management requirements.

“The transport vehicles carrying coal are not covered with tarpaulins and are overloaded,” Naik explained. “The coal stock in the trucks is not sprayed with water to reduce air pollution.” Many runners and health-conscious people going through Magdalla have complained about the coal ash on the road.”

“The mute spectators are the GPCB officials and the district collector.” They are not taking harsh measures against coal agents and dealers who violate the coal handling guidelines. “It should be made clear to the coal agents that they must follow the rules or face being forced to close their doors,” Naik added.