PORVORIM: Goa Medical College (GMC) and National Institute for Occupational Health (NIOH), Ahmadabad have declined to conduct studies to determine if there are health consequences to people staying near Mormugao Port Trust (MPT) due to coal pollution as proposed by Goa State Pollution Control Board (GSPCB). The information was provided on the floor of the House by Environment Minister Nilesh Cabral to a question tabled by Congress MLA Ravi Naik. The MLA sought to know whether government has conducted any such studies and also asked about the penalty imposed by GSPCB to coal handling units JSW and Adani. Responding to the question, Cabral said that Board had approached GMC and NIOH to conduct the study. “However both the institutes have expressed their inability to carry out the said study,” the Minister said. GSPCB has granted consent to South West Port Ltd (SWPL) and Adani Mormugoa Port terminal Pvt LTD (AMPTPL)and MPT to handle coal at Berth No. 5A /6A,Berth No. 7 and mooring dolphin 1,2,3 respectively with a series of conditions. “Restrictions are imposed on coal handling of 0.4MT/months for both the units SWPL and AMPTPL, while only trial permission is granted to mooring dolphin,” Cabral said. The Minister said that SWPL and AMPTPL were imposed a fine of Rs 10 lakh, after the board observed exceedence in PM10 and PM2.5 leading to air pollution.