Quepem villagers demand action against mining trucks

A group of villagers of Quepem on today gheraod the Assistant Director of Transport Quepem Shri Ivo Rodrigues over the overloading of mining truck Via Quepem town.

The villagers were furious over the rampant overloading of mining transport via Quepem town that to by the side of Assistant Director of Transport office which is responsible for spillage of ore over the road which in turn responsible for dust pollution over the entire route of Quepem.

The villagers team consisted of John Fernandes, Agnel sequeira, Johnny Mascarenhas, Anthony Fernandes, Jose Carvalho, Piety D’Costa and others questioned the RTO as to why the public notification dated 15/12/2007 under No.D.Tpt/EST/1685/P.F.II/2007 issued by the Directorate of Transport is not being implemented? To which Assistant Director of Transport Ivo Rodrigues informed the agitators that his department is trying their level best to implement the same and has issued challens to number of erring truck owners. Not satisfied with the answer given by the Assistant Director of Transport the agitators pointing to the truck passing by the side of the Assistant Director of Transport office informed the RTO if challens are issued then to why the overloading is continued unabated that too in front of their eye? Which means they don’t have respect to the law and the Transport department and are they law unto themselves?

The Notification dated 17/12/2007 among other which reads as follows:

“3. No Tipper/truck should carry ore in excess of its permissible laden weight capacity and should be filled up with ore only upto to body level and not heaped up”.

“4. The Tipper/trucks filled with ore should be covered completely with tarpaulin of the following specification so that spillage of ore is prevented.”

The agitators informed the RTO that due to dust pollution caused by the mining truck the school children are suffering from Sinus problems and demanded 100% implementation of the notification from Tuesday. The agitators were not ready to leave the office unless they got an written undertaking of implementation of the public notice dated 17/12/2007. Police were called to maintain law and order. They only left the office of the Assistant Director of Transport when they got the assurance from the Assistant Director of Transport that the Notification dated 17/12/2007 will be strictly implemented and no truck will be allowed to be overloaded.