The Union environment ministry has granted environment clearance (EC) for enhancement of terminal capacity at berths 5A and 6A at Mormugao Port Authority (MPA), for handling of coal, coal products, iron ore, limestone and steel products.
The clearance has been granted to Jindal group’s South West Port and the project will cost approximately Rs 300 crore. The company has stated in its proposal that the pollution level will reduce due to the use of more modernised equipment.
“The total cargo to be handled is expected to go up to 12 to 13 million tonnes per annum of bulk (consisting of coal, iron ore, limestone, dolomite, bauxite, mineral ores, and other miscellaneous cargo), and around 2 million tonnes per annum of unitised cargo (consisting of steel bars, coils, flats and plates, other steel products).
The total cargo handling capacity hence is expected to increase to about 14 to 15 million tonnes per annum,” the proposal states. South West Port has been operating berths 5A and 6A at MPA.
“The terminal has been operating since 2004. Over the years, the unloading system at the berth, the conveying system from the berth to the stockyard, from stockyard to rake loading system has been in use for the last 13 years and is operating at a much-reduced efficiency,” South West Port had said in its proposal.
The company said that it will employ ‘highly mechanised, modernised, efficient, and environment-friendly’ material handling system and enhance conveyor speed, ‘making the evacuation and dispatch more efficient’. The group has said it will reduce pollution by retrofitting material handling systems with latest dust entrapment systems and barriers, and there will be an increase in terminal capacity without change in the stockyard area and waterfront area.
The Union environment ministry had granted terms of reference for the proposal in June 2015. The group has said the environment impact assessment report was prepared accordingly, and a public hearing held in April 2017.
