Team Herald
PANJIM: Adani Mormugao Port Terminal Pvt Ltd (AMPTPL), a coal handling unit at Mormugao Port Trust (MPT), has urged Goa State Pollution Control Board (GSPCB) to reconsider its condition that port handling operations will have to be suspended when the wind speed is more than 10 kms per hour claiming that even during normal days the wind speed is greater than that in the coastal areas.
In a letter to GSPCB, AMPTPL has requested the Board to consider 45 kms per hour as maximum permissible wind speed beyond which operations will be completely stopped.
The GSPCB in an amendment to the Consent to Operate granted to Adani and Jindal owned South West Port Limited (SWPL) had directed that no operations at the Port would be carried out when the wind speed is above 10 kms per hour. The directions were issued after Board observed that the firms were involved in negligently undertaking coal operations during the cyclonic wind conditions thus deteriorating the air quality in Vasco.
Responding to the same, AMPTPL has pointed out that as per the wind speed data obtained from MPT, it can be observed that during the normal days also (except high wind) the wind speed was in the range of 18-39 kms per hour. “This is normal wind condition in coastal areas. Further, during normal days also wind speed is mostly greater than 10 kms per hour,” the company said.
The company said that even during the presentation before the Board, they had mentioned that as per the report, we consider maximum wind speed of 45 kms per hour as cut off and stop the operations completely.
“It is a commonly accepted operating procedure at various ports to suspend shipping movements when wind speed exceeds 25 kts (that is 46 kms per hour,” the letter stated.
Quoting US Weather bureau description, it stated that wind speed of 10 kms per hour is considered as light wind, 29-38 kms per hour as fresh wind and wind speed of above 39 kms per hour is strong wind.
