PANJIM: Even as the State government has urged the Union Ministry for Environment and Forest (MoEF) not to allow South West Port Ltd (SWPL) to increase its coal handling capacity due to pollution, Goa Coastal Zone Management Authority (GCZMA) has granted consent for the facility’s enhancement.
Granting permission under the Coastal Regulation Zone (CRZ), GCZMA said that the issue of pollution is within the purview of Goa State Pollution Control Board (GSPCB).
“The Authority decided to approve the said proposal for proposed Terminal Capacity Enhancement at Berth 5A-6A of Mormugao Port in terms of the CRZ Notification, 2011, as amended and subject to the condition that operation and handling should be done in closed shed,” the minutes of the meeting held in August state.
Interestingly, in the same month, Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar had written to MoEF asking it not to allow SWPL to increase its coal handling capacity until the level of particulate matter in Vasco is well within the stipulated standards. The government decision came following a people’s outcry against the enhanced facility as it would lead to severe air and water pollution in Vasco.
SWPL in its proposal before GCZMA stated they are enhancing the port handling facility by modernisation with environment friendly equipment and this shall be achieved by deploying highly mechanised and efficient material handling systems and the
implementation of the project will lead to increase in port efficiency and better utilisation of existing resources.
The project proponent claimed that the project will help in overall net reduction in pollution level due to retrofitting of material handling systems with latest dust entrapment systems and barriers.
As per the site inspection conducted by GCZMA expert members, it was noted that the proposed site falls with CRZ I (b) area of Zuari River, whereas Mormugao Harbour is a declared CRZ II area. The two berths – 5A and 6A – handle cargo like coal, limestone and steel products. Berth 5A is used for export of steel slabs and steel coils, whereas Berth 6A is used for import of coal and limestone.
Currently, the main user of the port facility is JSW Steel Limited, Vijayanagar, importing about 5.5 million tonnes of coal, 1 million tonnes of lime stone and is exporting about 1 million tonnes of finished steel products.
“As the demand for coal and other products is increasing SWPL is proposing to deploy highly mechanised and efficient environment-friendly material handling system at both the berths to increase the cargo handling capacity to meet the demand,” GCZMA said.
“This will enhance the capacity of coal imports to 13 – 14 MTPA of bulk (coal, iron ore, lime stone dolomite, bauxite, mineral ores and other miscellaneous cargo) and about 2 MTPA of unutilized cargo (steel bars, coils, flats and plates and other steel products),” it added.
