PANAJI
Contrary to Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar's claims that there will be no expansion of coal handling at Mormugao Port, the Expert Appraisal Committee (EAC) of the Ministry of Environment and Forests has recommended that South West Port Ltd's expansion plans at MPT be given an environmental and CRZ clearance.
The decision paves the way for final grant of Environmental Clearance by the Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change.
The recommendation was approved at the 26th Meeting of Expert Appraisal Committee (Infra-2) held on December 14-15, 2017.
South West Port Ltd, a subsidiary of JSW Steel handles coal through a leased berth at Mormugao Port solely to cater to the importing of coal for JSW's steel plants in North Karnataka.
"The Committee noted that the Project proponent has taken various steps toward air pollution control measures which vehemently controls the particulate emissions in the terminal at the present scenario... The EAC, on being satisfied with the submissions of the project proponent in response to its observations, recommended the project for grant of environmental and CRZ clearance," the relevant part of the minutes of the meeting uploaded on the Ministry's website reads.
The proponent has been given a set of 21 conditions they have to comply with while progressing with the project.
SWPL has proposed to deploy highly mechanised and efficient environment-friendly material handling systems so that the cargo handling capacity at the berth is increased consequently, in the process reducing environmental pollution by retrofitting state of art latest dust entrapment systems to meet its demand.
SWPL currently handles mainly coal but also limestone and export of steel at berth 5A & 6A by cranes, ship unloaders and wagon loading system.
SWPL claims that after modernisation, the consequential capacity enhancement shall be achieved by deploying highly mechanised and efficient environment-friendly material handling system, and by enhancing the existing conveyor speed, and improving the rake loading turnaround time through operational efficiency, thus, making the evacuation and despatch more efficient.
The total cargo to be handled is expected to go up to 12 to 13 MTPA of bulk (consisting of coal, iron ore, limestone, dolomite, bauxite, mineral ores and other miscellaneous cargo), and about 2 MTPA of unitised cargo (consisting of steel bars, coils, flats and plates, and other steel products).
The total cargo handling capacity hence is expected to increase to about 14 to 15 MTPA. This only includes handling at SWPL's berths and does not include the coal handled at Adani or the coal handled directly by MPT at the mooring dolphin.
Goa State Pollution Control Board (GSPCB) had conducted the much-publicized public hearing for the project proposal on 26.04.2017 at the Tilak Stadium in Vasco da Gama.
The proposal was earlier considered in the 21st Meeting of Expert Appraisal Committee (Infra-2) held during August 21-24, 2017 but since then SWPL has submitted the additional information.
The Goa State Pollution Control Board had written to the MoEF & CC that no environmental clearance be granted unless a source appropriation studies which will indicate which of the two major handlers -- JSW or Adani -- are responsible for how much of pollution.
These studies were not part of the original terms of reference of the Environment Impact Assessment Studies for MPT's expansion plans.
The chief minister made public his letter written on August 20, 2017 in which he writes to the Union Minister for Environment Dr Harshvardhan that "it would not be prudent to consider the request made by South West Port for increasing the coal handling capacity until the levels of particulate matter in the Vasco city are within the stipulated standards".
