Demand ban on heavy vehicle movement from City area
Vasco police warn people not to create law and order situation; Assures residents to meet MLAs and authorities over the issue
Goemkarponn desk
VASCO: Tense moments were witnessed in Vasco on Thursday morning after a large number of residents and social activists descended outside the gates of Mormugao Port and decided to block the movement of heavy vehicles from gate no 9 that leads to the city roads.
Residents demanded that heavy vehicles from the port be banned on city roads and insisted that the vehicles use the four-lane port connectivity bridge instead.
Vasco police and the CISF rushed to the site to prevent any law and order situation.
Mormugao DySP Salim Shaikh later warned the people not to take the law into their hands, forcing police to initiate legal action and assured the residents that they would convene Vasco MLA Krishna Salkar and Mormugao MLA Sankalp Amonkar and other authorities, including the transport department to address the issue.
Speaking to the media, social activist Xencor Polgi said that coal and bauxite pollution had caused many concerns.
“We have made a huge noise on this pollution in the past, but this time we have decided to go ahead and take this step. The importers are now bringing huge size boats, and we now realise that the dredging was being carried out to accommodate huge ships,” he said.
He further stated the Government has ignored our demands to curb pollution, and this translation through the city makes it worse because it also leads to accidents besides creating pollution due to spillage.
“We had requested the transporters to clear the spillage after transportation, but they are believed to have informed MPA that they would handle the activists, which is incorrect. We have decided to block the translation because the city roads are full of bauxite and coal, but neither the MLA s nor the municipality is bothered,” he said.
Polgi said the city roads are narrow, and we also have a market along the road, and there have been many fatal accidents in the past.
Social activist Suraj Chodankar alias Balan said that the people will block transportation through the city.
“This transportation from the city was closed for two years but has suddenly started again, and we want to know why this has happened. The Government has spent Rs 500 crores for a new flyover, but that is not being used. Why should innocent residents face the brunt of this transportation, especially during peak tourism season, despite knowing that the city roads are congested and many people have lost their lives?” he asked.
Mormugao DySP Salim Shaikh said that he has warned the agitators not to take the law into their own hands.
“We have met the leaders and spoken to them, and we will meet the Mormugao and Vasco MLAs to take this issue with the concerned department. The people are saying that they are affected by pollution, and the roads are congested and transportation must be taken from alternative roads on an infrastructure that is already ready,” he said.
He assured to also speak to RTO and find a solution to the issue so that people are not inconvenienced and there is no law and order situation.
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