Panaji (Goa) The Goa State Pollution Control Board (GSPCB) on Thursday issued show cause notice to M/s South West Port Ltd (SWPL) after it was found handling coal at Mormugao Port Trust (MPT), in access to the permission granted, for the year 2016-17.

The show cause issued under section 31(A) of the Air (prevention and control of pollution) Act, 1981 and under section 33(A) of the Water (Prevention and control of pollution) Act 1974, on November 30 states as why the renewed consent to operate issued on July 21, should not be revoked for handling access amount of coal.

The notice is answerable by December 6, failing which the Board will take stringent legal action which can amount to revocation of Consent to Operate granted on July 21 to suspension of all kind of cargo handling operations at Berth NO 5A and 6A.

The Board pointed out that in the Consent to operate granted to SWPL, it was allowed to handle annually 4.125 MMT of coal, one MMT of limestone and steel slab, respectively at Berth No 5A and 6A.

However, the data submitted by the MPT on July 25, revealed that SWPL handled a total quantity of 10.112 MMT of coal from April 2016 to March 2017, in violation of the consent.

“It indicates that SWPL handled an excess amount of 5.987 MMT per annum, during the year 2016-17 in gross violation of the conditions as stipulated in the Consent to Operate order dates 21 July, 2017,” the show cause notice reads.