VASCO
The coal handling units at Mormugao Port Trust (MPT) have begun to face the heat of a temporary halt in coal handling operations as directed by Goa State Pollution Control Board (GSPCB) after a ship carrying coal from Australia was diverted to the New Mangalore port.
The GSPCB had directed both coal handling units, South West Port Limited (SWPL) and Adani Mormugao Port Terminal Pvt Ltd (AMPTPL) to stop handling coal at MPT till February 21, while the GSPCB would carry out a study on ambient air quality at various locations in the port town and decide on the issue at a hearing in Panaji.
As a result of the temporary order, ships carrying coal which had arrived in MPT and were waiting to be offloaded, had to be kept on hold.
According to sources, the MV Topas carrying around 83,000 MT of coking coal from Australia had arrived at Mormugao Anchorage on February 14 at 7 am.
“It was stuck at the Anchorage because of GSPCB directions stopping coal handling activity. The vessel carrying cargo for SWPL was to be offloaded at AMPTPL.”
“After waiting for five days, the vessel left for the New Mangalore Port at 2.30 pm on Tuesday and is scheduled to arrive Mangalore on Wednesday by 6 am,” said the source.
The source disputed claims that coal handling units make a fortune at the MPT.
“A ship charges anywhere between 15,000 to 20,000 USD per day as demurrage charges if the loading/unloading is delayed. This means that the ship waiting for five days has incurred losses of about one lakh dollars or Rs 70 lakh to the coal handling unit,” said the source.
