Thiruvananthapuram: The Vizhinjam Deepwater Container Transhipment Terminal and several other minor ports proposed by the State government will require fresh and comprehensive environment impact studies under a new policy announced by the Union Ministry for Environment and Forests.

The Union Ministry has put off decisions on port development and expansion project proposals on the basis of the new policy announced two months ago, besides stopping applications for new projects seeking environmental or Coastal Regulation Zone clearance till a fresh national policy on environmental issues is framed. The national policy will be formulated after extensive studies on the impact of various port projects on the coastline.

According to the new policy, the existing port development projects can go ahead only on the basis of hydro-dynamic studies on the projects’ impact on the shoreline abutting the respective project area and on the assurance that there will be no significant impact on the ecologically sensitive areas along the stretch.

For new projects on environmental coastal hotspots, the policy dictates a comprehensive environment impact assessment (EIA) based on a minimum of three seasons’ data and actual field measurements and appropriate modelling studies.

Under the new policy, ports cannot be considered in hotspot stretches that are prone to high erosion of above one metre per year, locations identified within 10 km on either side of the eco-sensitive areas categorised as CRZ- I (i) and water bodies with high bio-diversity. There is however an exception for fishing jetties and embarkation facilities for local communities as these need to conform to the 2006 EIA policy.

The new environmental policy for ports has been announced on the basis of the recommendations of an expert committee headed by M.S. Swaminathan, which reviewed the comments received by the Ministry on the draft Coastal Management Zone regulations 2008.

As a follow-up to the Swaminathan committee report, the Ministry, in association with the Chennai-based Integrated Coastal and Maritime Area Management (ICMAM), under the Ministry of Earth Sciences, had launched a study to identify the coastal stretches subjected to erosion and accretion.

The second phase of this study will identify shoreline changes at micro-level and map them. This phase will involve analysis of time series satellite images from 1960 onwards. A national policy will be formulated based on these studies by October 31, 2010, sources said.

The ICMAM report in the first phase had identified the Thiruvananthapuram, Alappuzha, Manjeri, Kozhikode and Kasaragod coastal stretches as hotspots where changes to the shoreline had been observed. The Centre’s order on the new environment policy has mentioned that new port projects in these areas will have to go in for a comprehensive EIA. The State government had recently rolled out plans to develop five minor ports in addition to the Vizhinjam Deepwater Container Transhipment Terminal, now put up for re-tendering. The government hopes to adopt the public-private participation model for port development.

In view of the new policy, the State government’s attempts to revive some of the projects that have been languishing for want of support will suffer a setback, sources said.

Moreover, the onus is on the private promoter to get the mandatory environmental clearances, it is said.

Source: The Hindu