the goan I network
PANAJI
South West Port Ltd (SWPL), which manages the berths 5A and 6A at the Mormugao Port Trust on Monday withdrew its application before the NGT seeking exemption from a National Green Tribunal order which had decreed that no permission under the Coastal Regulation Zone be granted until the Coastal Zone Management Plan for the State is in place.
At stake is South West Port’s expansion plans at its berths 5A and 6A which it operates on a long-term lease with MPT, which were earlier recommended for the grant of CRZ and Environmental Clearance by the Expert Appraisal Committee of the Ministry of Environment and Forest.
However, the final Environmental Clearance and CRZ clearance cannot be granted by the Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change since NGT has directed that States should not grant any environmental clearance for development activity which falls within the permissible area/regulated area (CRZ) until the Coastal Zone Management Plans are in place as any permissions being granted would defeat the purpose of the Coastal Zone Management Plan.
An undeterred SWPL could now approach either the High Court or Supreme Court for relief. 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.
