SATURDAY, MAY 04, 2024
SHWETA KAMAT
PANJIM: The controversial Mormugao Port Trust’s (MPT) project to deepen the navigation channel in Vasco Bay was approved despite inadequacies in the environmental impact assessment (EIA) report. The Expert Appraisal Committee (EAC) of the Union Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEF&CC) had cleared this, in spite of stiff public resistance.
This was one among several projects in CRZ areas, according to the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) report tabled in Parliament.
The latest CAG report on ‘Conservation of Coastal Ecosystem’ said that MPT’s project was approved “despite inadequacies in the EIA reports which included non-accreditation of the consultant involved with the preparation of the EIA report, usage of outdated baseline data, non-evaluation of environmental impacts of the project, non-addressal of disasters which the project area was prone to.”
It is also one of those coastal projects where the project proponent failed to submit the half-yearly compliance report, which was mandated as per conditions laid down by EAC.
CAG observed that no cumulative studies were conducted to assess the overall impact of the project and that the “proposed project was within the active ‘Port Basin/Navigational Channel’ area of the MPT Complex. “There were large-scale activities already ongoing in this region with many industries and many Barge Yards and Ship Building units along the bank of Zuari River. EIA report too mentioned that the impacts on marine ecosystems would be of cumulative nature. But project proponent did not study them,” the report has stated.
The Auditor noted that the EIA failed to assess the possible impacts of the projects on marine flora and fauna, ecologically vulnerable areas. “Although, the report listed the impacts such as land reclamation, mining, industrialisation and dredging, posing a considerable threat to the marine flora and fauna, the mitigation measures to be taken for their conservation and management were not elaborated in the EIA,” the CAG report said.
As per the EIA report, the Chicalim- Sancoale bay which is known for its intertidal marine biodiversity was just 4 kms away from the dredging area and was known to harbour more than 200 faunal and 34 phytoplankton species in addition to mangroves and windowpane oyster (Placuna placenta) (schedule-4 species). The EIA report also mentioned that dredging influence was normally restricted to a maximum of 4 kms of the activity.
“The impact studies for the same were not carried out in the EIA as a result of which no mitigation measures were stipulated,” the report said.
CAG also observed that no mitigation measures for the delineated emergencies like accidents involving vessels, the oil spill from vessels, fire/explosion on board vessels within the port limits and berths, breakdown of ship engine in the sea, etc, were found incorporated in the disaster management plan (DMP).
Further, the consultant appointed by MPT, M/s WAPCOS Limited, Gurgaon, was not accredited by the National Accreditation Board of Education and Training/Quality Council of India.
