NT NETWORK
PANAJI
Raising doubts over the NIO interim reports pertaining to the possible impact of dredging of navigation channel for capsize vessels at the Mormugao port and factors causing beach erosion at Khariwada, the Goa Coastal Zone Management Authority (GCZMA) has stated that the reports appear to be irrelevant.
The authority that met on May 3 decided to constitute a sub-committee comprising Dr Antonio Mascarenhas, Dr P V Shirodkar, Suhas Godse and Dr Nandkumar Sawant to deliberate on the interim reports of NIO and discuss the issue in detail with NIO scientists and then decide on carrying out follow-up study on benthic diversity, beach erosion and submarine morphology.
NIO scientists have submitted two reports on behalf of the MPT. One report is pertaining to the profile of a beach located some 25 kilometres away from the Mormugao harbour.
The data appears to be irrelevant as far as impacts of dredging in the harbour are concerned, the GCZMA has stated.
Stating that the second interim report deals with the biological aspects of the sediments of the Zuari estuary, the authority has noted that the sampling is scattered and was not done along the axis of the channel which is more than 10 kilometres long and the same would be required to be reviewed.
The matter is pending before the NGT, and it has demanded a detailed study, on the likely impact of capital dredging, from the committee appointed by it. An appeal was filed by Old Cross Fishing Canoe Owners Co-op Society Ltd and Baina Ramponkar and Fishing Canoe Owners Society challenging the environmental clearance granted by the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MOEF & CC) to the MPT in February last year for a project of deepening of approach channel for capsize vessels at Mormugao Port.
The committee comprises Dr Antonio Mascarenhas, then expert member of GCZMA, one marine biologist/water quality specialist from NIO, deputy collector of the area and senior officer of Goa State Pollution Control Board.
After perusing the first joint site inspection report prepared by the committee and hearing all the parties, the court inter alia had decided to quash and set aside the environment clearance granted to the MPT and sent the matter back to MOEF for further consideration and further directed the MPT to submit bank guarantee of Rs 50 crore to the GCZMA. It also asked to carry out follow-up study
Accordingly the committee submitted two inspection reports on December 6, 2016 and January 19, 2017 however the court was not satisfied with the findings and hence the committee was directed to continue with its study to know whether erosion has been caused due to chronic sand loss as a result of deepening of channel or human interference or natural processes, or all three.
It was then submitted before the court that the NGT-appointed committee is not a research committee but was only meant to give input about the likely impacts of the capital dredging and therefore, the study of geological and biological may be allowed to be carried out by reputed marine organisations.
Thereafter the GCZMA in its 147th meeting decided to issue a request letter to Central Water and Power Research Station (CWPRS), Pune and NCSCM, Chennai to submit a detailed proposal to conduct a study whether there is any impact / erosion to the shoreline due to the capital dredging activities carried out by the MPT
However, during 148th meeting of GCZMA, Dr Mascarenhas, one of the committee members, explained that he has also perused the multi-dated Google Earth (GE) satellite images of the period 2002-2016 for ascertaining the shoreline changes and Naval Charts 1970 and 2007 and observed that human interference on sandy coastal areas leads to damage of dunes / backshore leading to sand starvation and in turn causes disequilibrium of coastal process.