VASCO
Responding to a request by the Mormugao Port Trust (MPT), the Union Shipping Ministry has now dropped four projects from the Port Master Plan of the MPT.
MPT Deputy Chairman Guruprasad Rai had written to the Secretary of the Union Ministry of Shipping on October 13, proposing to drop four projects.
The four projects which have been dropped from MPT’s Master Plan are the ‘Deepening of Approach Channel and turning circle to facilitate berthing of Capesize vessels’, ‘Outer Harbour for Coal/Iron Ore Terminal’, 'Development of 2 berths with connecting flyover for Indian Navy and Coast Guard at Vasco bay' and ‘Multipurpose Terminal’ at Betul.
According to details obtained under RTI, a copy of which is with The Goan, Under Secretary Sanjay Kumar on Wednesday confirmed that the four projects have been dropped based on the justification given by the MPT.
In response to an RTI application seeking details on the proposed de-listing of four projects from the Mormugao Port Master Plan, Kumar on Wednesday informed that under the Sagarmala Programme of Ministry of Shipping National Prospective Plan (NPP), detailed Master Plan for each Major Port covering the entire coastal region and island's Coastline of the Country was prepared.
“Thereafter, in accordance with the Detailed Projects Reports (DPRs) and the preparedness of the implementing agencies, individual projects were required to be taken up preferably through private sector or PPP route, wherever feasible.”
“In respect of MPT, a Master Plan was prepared with array of projects to be taken up at the Port. In a review meeting by Secretary (Shipping) on October 1, the Port was asked to furnish the status of the Master Plan project. Mormugao Port Trust vide their letter dated October 13, had requested to drop dour projects from the Master Plan list.”
“It is informed that projects are generally dropped under Sagarmala Programme based on the consultation with the Implementing Agencies. In the instant case, MPT had requested for dropping and the same have been dropped based on the justification given by the Port,” stated Kumar.
Four dropped projects can always be revived: Activist
VASCO: Welcoming the union shipping ministry’s decision to drop four projects from Mormugao Port Trust’s (MPT) Master Plan, Vasco-based anti-coal pollution activist Sherwyn Correia has, however, voiced concern that these projects could always be revived in future.
“The MPT’s letter dated October 13 essentially confirmed the direct nexus between coal handling capacity expansion at MPT and the SWR double-tracking work on two of the four projects which have been dropped,” said Vasco-based anti-coal pollution activist Sherwyn Correia.
“Two of the four projects -- deepening of Approach Channel and turning circle to facilitate berthing of Capesize vessels and Outer Harbour for Coal/Iron Ore Terminal -- pertained to coal-related projects and were dropped, in part due to delayed SWR double-tracking works.”
“The MPT letter itself states that “certain projects are not found feasible in the near future”. It implies that the MPT is not considering these four projects for now.”
“However, if the SWR double-tracking is completed, other obstacles are overcome and conditions are made favourable by MPT, it is always possible that these four projects can be revived in future,” suggested Correia.
“MPT is on the verge of obtaining MoEF's environmental clearance for the approach channel deepening project, which is a critical cog in its coal handling capacity enhancement plans. It must withdraw its EC application to vindicate its true intentions,” he added.
