NEW MEASURES AGAINST HAPHAZARD IRON ORE TRANSPORTATION

PANJIM: The transport department and South Goa district magistrate have come up with a few measures against haphazard iron ore transportation but people affected by mining say overloading aids need to be stripped from the vehicles.

After commencing the drive a fortnight back, the transport department has issued more than 300 challans to overloaded trucks and seized 44 vehicles for non-possession of documents. It has also written to the mining companies to ensure that loading is done within the permissible limits. "The mining firms have also been asked to submit a record of the total days loading to the department," transport director Arun Desai said.

People affected by mining conceded that they felt some relief after several months of the dusty deluge. "Overloading has been less over the last couple of days but truckers have not removed the wooden planks," Rama Velip, a resident of Colomba said.

Agreed Ramesh Gawas, a Bicholim-based social activist, "The incidence of overloading and consequently dust pollution has reduced a wee bit," he said. But both complained that wooden planks, which facilitate carrying of extra load have not been removed by truckers.

"Removal of the planks would make it difficult for trucks to resort to overloading of ore," Velip said. Gawas said that trucks in Bicholim have removed wooden planks, but there are many vehicles still on the roads with permanent metallic sideboards.

"When they cover it with tarpaulin, nobody can make out that loading is being done in violation of high court directives," Gawas said.

But Desai said that the construction of body of the truck upto cabin level would only add to the vehicle's unladen weight. He said use of wooden planks causes spillage at the speed breakers as there is a gap between the body and planks.

But he assured that trucks with permanent sideboards cannot play any tricks as checking weighment slips will reveal the manipulation. "Every truck has to produce weighment slip, indicating the laden weight of the truck after it leaves the mine head," Desai said. The mining companies have been asked to produce monthly records of trucks loaded at the site.

Stating that the department is keen to ensure adherence to rules at the mine head itself, he said, "The mines manager or their logistics people should keep a watch on trucks in addition to efforts of our people."

The mining companies have been directed to maintain a schedule of staggered departures from the mine heads. "While transporting ore, the trucks should not overtake another mining truck," Desai said. "Every vehicle must leave a gap of 100 m instead of moving bumper to bumper," Desai said. These instructions have been issued in addition to the court directives, he added.

The high court has directed truckers to maintain speed limits and cover the ore with tarpaulin. They are required to travel at a speed limit of 50 km/h in inhabited areas and 30-35 km/h in urban areas and market places. No transportation can be carried out between 6am and 8am and 1pm and 2pm.

The South Goa magistrate has directed mining trucks to carve out a buffer zone of 25m during the movement of trucks en route the loading point.  "After every 100m distance, the trucks should maintain a 25-metre buffer zone to ensure other motorists are not stranded," Naik said.

The order is applicable in all mining belts along national and state highways and major district roads where mining trucks ply, he said.

Ore-laden trucks have been prohibited from entering Usgao (between Usgao bridge to Suktolim Dharbandora and up to Digas bridge) Pilliem and Dharbandora of Sanguem taluka from 7am to 8am and 1pm to 2pm. In some areas, a different set of timings have been set.  The parking of trucks on some stretches of the national highway 4-A has also been prohibited.  The loading of trucks at these mines can start only at 7am and has to stop by 4pm.