17 sites identified in Sonshi area to monitor air quality

Panaji: The Indian School of Mines (ISM), Dhanbad, has identified 17 locations in the Sonshi mining cluster to install ambient air quality monitoring (AAQM) stations along the ore transportation route to monitor air pollution.
The locations were finalised following a joint visit by faculty members of IIT (ISM), officials of Goa State Pollution Control Board (GSPCB) and representatives of the Goa Mineral Ore Exporters Association (GMOEA), the main trading body of mine owners in the state.

ISM associate professor Biswajit Paul in a letter to Mohan Girap of GSPCB said the sites were visited at a time when there was no production and transportation of iron ore, therefore the estimation of impact could not be felt. Moreover, the ideal facilities for monitoring stations like access to electricity, secured open areas and away from absorbing surfaces, were difficult to obtain practically.

“In this exercise, 17 AAQM locations have been confirmed jointly by IIT (ISM), GSPCB and mining firms for the time being. When iron ore transportation begins, it may be checked again by making simultaneous measurements at some locations in the area concerned for representativeness of the sites,” Paul said.

Several government primary schools (sensitive places), village panchayat offices, populated areas, residences, etc, were selected along the routes for representative air quality monitoring. Some sites were not considered due to their non-representativeness, away from routes, no residences nearby or due to non-availability of facilities.

Paul said care should be taken that sites remain vandal-proof, protected from extreme weather and free from all sides. “As mining is a dynamic activity, these points may have to relocated in the future due to change of route or due to availability of better sites. It is requested to continue monitoring of air quality in these selected sites so that the base line pollution level can be estimated before onset of iron ore transportation,” the ISM faculty member said.

The village came into focus after 45 villagers were arrested by the police for stopping mining transportation on grounds of pollution after petitions made by them didn’t evoke any action.

Sonshi villages were covered in red dust, and struggling with air pollution and water contamination till the high court directed the state to consider providing them potable water and ensuring that dust pollution in the village was brought under control.