PANAJI
The Mormugao Port Authority (MPA) has informed the National Green Tribunal (NGT) that due to financial constraints, it has sought 100 per cent Central funding under the Sagarmala Scheme for its proposed Rs 289-crore project to deepen the port's approach channel to facilitate the movement of cape-size vessels and enhance bulk cargo handling capacity at its dedicated berths
The submission was made by MPA before the NGT on June 18 in response to an application filed by Vasco resident Rupesh Shinkre challenging the Environmental and Coastal Regulation Zone (CRZ) clearances granted to the project by the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEF&CC) on July 21, 2025. The petitioner has sought a stay on the environmental clearances.
In its affidavit, the port authority stated that after obtaining the clearances, the National Technology Centre for Ports, Waterways and Coasts (NTCPWC) at IIT Madras was entrusted with preparing the Detailed Project Report (DPR). Based on the final DPR, the work has been proposed in two phases.
Phase-I, involving dredging up to a depth of minus 18 metres, is proposed during the financial year 2026-27, while Phase-II, involving further deepening to minus 19.80 metres, is planned within the next five years.
“Considering the Port's present financial position, it is proposed that the work will be executed subject to approval by the Ministry and 100 per cent funding under the Sagarmala Scheme,” MPA said informing that its Board, at its meeting held on May 27, 2026, resolved to seek full Central funding for the project.
The port authority said no tender process has yet been initiated and that even after funding approval, the selection of an executing agency and commencement of actual work would take considerable time.
“It is respectfully stated that consideration and / or approval of the proposal by the Ministry is expected to take sufficient time and that only on approval of the Ministry for grant of 100% funds for the subject project, the next step would be to initiate the Tender Process for selecting the entity for execution of the project, followed by actual execution of the subject project will commence,” it said.
Defending the environmental clearance, MPA stated that it was granted after following all procedures prescribed under the Environment Impact Assessment Notification, 2006. It argued that the project serves both public and national interests, noting a constant demand from port users for deeper drafts to accommodate cape-size vessels and that the Ministry has advised all major ports to develop deep-draft facilities.
The proposed project involves deepening the outer channel from 14.40 metres to 19.80 metres and the inner channel and approaches to berths 5, 6 and 7 from 14.10 metres to 19.50 metres. The channel will also be extended by 3.5 km, taking its total length to 10.3 km with a width varying between 250 metres and 580 metres.
As per MPA’s proposal, the port is strategically positioned to cater to coal requirements of steel and power plants in Karnataka and that its two dedicated bulk cargo berths currently have a combined handling capacity of around 12 million tonnes per annum. It maintained that deeper channels would enable freight savings and significant economic benefits for both Goa and the country by facilitating bulk exports and imports through cape-size vessels.
