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Naidu’s 14 ports may face ‘green’ hurdle
The proposal of constructing 14 ports along the Andhra Pradesh shoreline is likely to run into rough waters in terms of getting environmental clearances.
- Port that causes marine pollution is called a hot spot
- Four fall under hot spot locations
- Studies point out high pollution level in proposed places
- Development activity may further damage marine and coastal environment
- Adverse affects visible along Kakinada port shoreline
Hyderabad: The proposal of constructing 14 ports along the Andhra Pradesh shoreline is likely to run into rough waters in terms of getting environmental clearances.
According to highly placed sources, four out of the 14 locations announced by Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu fall under the category of 'hot spot' by the Union Ministry of Earth Sciences. A port that causes marine pollution is known as the hot spot. Experts feel that the scale of development activity proposed by the government may be fraught with imminent dangers which may outweigh the benefits in the long run.
The National Institute of Oceanography (NIO), Goa, which had been designated 22 locations to monitor coastal and marine pollution annually, had conducted studies at four places in Andhra Pradesh - Gangavaram, Kakinada, Visakhapatnam and Byde Bhimavaram.
The NIO studies were based on 26 parameters under Coastal Ocean Monitoring and Prediction System (COMAPS). According to its report, there was high-level of marine pollution in these areas due to sediment accumulation, untreated sewage, garbage and other solids, fertiliser residue and tar ball residue.
The NIO feels that the pollution levels would touch a new high if the proposed port developmental activity was taken up by the AP government.
Pollution at alarming levels also emerged in extensive studies conducted along coastline from Kakinada to Paradip by Prof KVS Prasad, of Department of Meteorology and Oceanography, Andhra University. His study revealed higher stress levels on marine ecosystem due to increasing pollution levels at Gangavaram and Visakhapatnam areas and others places. This was also causing massive soil erosion along shoreline, the study said.
Dr M Anand, assistant professor at Marine Field Research Facility, Department of Marine and Coastal Studies, Madurai Kamaraj University, in a report cited the vanishing of pearl fishing industry around the Tuticorin Port in Tamil Nadu. The report said marine wealth was completely destroyed due to excess movement of trawlers and accelerated fishing over oyster beds.
The report also said the Sethu Samudra Project would affect the marine ecology as there would be increased movement of ships and trawlers.
Similarly, experts cite the adverse affects visible along Kakinada shoreline caused due to loss of mangrove vegetation after port construction. It is a known fact that mangroves help in holding soil and also reduces the impact of waves.
