NT Reporter
Panaji
National Green Tribunal’s Western Zone Bench at Pune has disposed of a petition against Goa Carbon Limited’s calcined petroleum coke plant at Sao Jose De Areal, on the grounds that there was no merit in the allegations made
by the petitioners.
The Tribunal ruled that apprehension alone cannot justify shutting
down an operational industry that holds a valid consent to operate.
The Tribunal dismissed the contention that villagers were suffering from serious ailments allegedly caused by pollution from the Company’s industrial activities. It observed that the medical reports relied upon by the applicants were general in nature and insufficient to establish any grave or specific health impact attributable to the Company. Counsel for Goa Carbon Limited argued that the applicants had fundamentally conflated stack emission standards with National Ambient Air Quality norms — two distinct regulatory regimes that cannot be compared. It further contended that the 221 exceedances represented just 0.59 per cent of 37,440 total readings taken over the year, well within acceptable margins.
The company detailed significant investments in pollution control, including a dust extraction system, proactive replacement of all 560 filter bags in August 2023, and the installation of a Flue Gas Desulphurisation system worth approximately Rs 3.5 crore.
The Tribunal consisting of Justice Dinesh Kumar Singh and Dr Sujit Kumar Bajpayee cited a Joint Committee Report dated May 28, 2024 – prepared pursuant to the Tribunal’s own order – which found that compliance with GSPCB directions had been
considerably achieved.
The Tribunal rejected the applicants’ characterisation of the report as “vague”, and dismissed as “conjecture” the allegation that loaded trucks had been deliberately turned away ahead of the inspection to conceal the true extent of pollution.
The company’s workforce, examined by independent medical practitioners in 2023 and
2024, showed no occupational health hazards — further undermining the severity of health claims made in the petition. A fresh Consent to Operate granted on January 23, 2026 reinforced the Tribunal’s view that regulatory authorities were satisfied with current compliance.
Welcoming the order, management of Goa Carbon Limited said that the decision reaffirms the Company’s consistent efforts toward maintaining high environmental standards and fostering responsible industrial practices in and around its plant.
The management reiterated its firm commitment not only to full compliance with all applicable statutory and regulatory requirements, but also to continuously strengthening its environmental safeguards and community engagement initiatives beyond the mandated norms.
