Panel to assess pollution on Goa beaches

A high-level committee will assess pollution on Goa beaches, Environment Minister Prakash Javadekar said Tuesday.

Responding to a calling attention motion in the Rajya Sabha, he said a high-level committee, with representatives from the Coast Guard, Shipping Directorate, National Environment Engineering Research Institute, Pollution Control Board and the Goa government will address the issue.

"The committee will meet this month to assess reasons behind pollution on Goa beaches and prepare a road map for its redressal," Javadekar said Tuesday.

He was addressing concerns expressed by Congress leader Shantaram Naik over pollution on Goa beaches due to presence of tar balls.

The minister quoted a study from the National Environment Engineering Research Institute, and said the findings were inconclusive, as it said the source of these tar balls could be oil-exploration from offshore-oil installations, natural phenomenon from the sea-bed or from sea-going vessels passing through that area.