Environmentalists say expansion exercise poses risk to lives of thousands of people in Vasco and surrounding areas
CORTALIM
While ports world over are expanding away from their densely populated port cities, Mormugao Port seems to be bucking the trend.
The proposal to expand port infrastructure by constructing petroleum (POL) and multipurpose cargo berths along with fishing harbour at the Vasco bay has raised hackles of local residents and environmentalists alike.
At the time of its commissioning in 1888, the Mormugao Port comprised of 3 berths along with a breakwater. The port saw large-scale growth in the 1950's to cater to demand of iron-ore exports which included Asia's first mechanized ore handling plant operated by a local mining company.
Post liberation, Mormugao was declared as a major port and expanded southwards with addition of 12 MMTPA mechanical ore handling plant at Berth 9 in 1978, besides development of Berth 8 dedicated to POL products. Addition of two general cargo berths in the 1990's brought the port to the edge of Vasco town.
Christened as "modernisation and expansion of port infrastructure for fishing, coastal & multipurpose cargo berth and liquid/general cargo" under Sagarmala scheme, the project envisages development of liquid bulk products including LPG, multipurpose cargo berth besides a fishing jetty.
The project first came into public domain during recent environmental public hearings on MPT coal handling expansion projects when
Adv Sávio Correia says the entire exercise is only to facilitate a corporate entity's take-over of redeveloped Berths 8 and 9. MPT's functioning is unbecoming of a public-funded entity
Some observers feel that shifting the fishing jetty could be a stopgap arrangement since ISPS norms do not permit fishing vessels to navigate near port operational areas
They feel that after taking over and developing the Vasco bay, MPT in connivance with the Navy could invoke national security threat perceptions in future to drive out the fishermen
Though project aims to boost economical welfare of fishermen, locals fear that it would displace traditional fishermen from Kharewaddo locality and force them to re-locate elsewhere
Berth development won't have bearing
on city's infrastructure: MPT chairman
CORTALIM: Rejecting all concerns about development of Berth 8 dedicated to POL products, MPT chairman I Jeyakumar said the berth will be developed 500 metres from the shoreline. "We are in the process of getting clearances from the Chief Controller of Explosives, Nagpur and after that we will initiate the process of developing the berth," Jeyakumar told The Goan.
Jeyakumar also made it very clear that there would not be any pressure on the city roads since the petroleum products would be pumped through the pipeline to oil tanks at Sancoale and that the National Highway 17-B would be connected directly to Gate 9 of MPT through flyover and would not have any bearing on the city's infrastructure.
