Assess damage from dredging: NGT committee

PANAJI: Taking cognizance of the likely impact of Mormugao Port Trust's (MPT) capital dredging on benthic (the ecological region at the lowest level of an ocean or a lake) biodiversity that sustains pelagic (open sea) and demersal (living close to the floor of the sea) fish, a committee appointed by the National Green Tribunal (NGT) has suggested an assessment of the damage after the process of dredging is complete.

The committee, comprising the Goa coastal zone management authority (GCZMA) member Antonio Mascarenhas, members from National Institute of Oceanography (NIO) and the Goa state pollution control board (GSPCB), and others, recommended that the MPT may assign such a study to any reputed marine research organization. "A protocol for study will be presented in the final report," the committee noted. After the Old Cross fishing canoe owners' co-operative society challenged the dredging initiated by MPT, the NGT had issued an interim direction asking MPT deposit a bank guarantee of 50 crore or stop the dredging activity.

The dredging work, which is aimed at deepening the channel from 14.5m to 19.5m at an estimated cost of around 301 crore was inaugurated by Union minister for road transport and highways and shipping, Nitin Gadkari on January 1. The work had been stopped after the monsoon fishing ban came into effect on June 1 and will resume after it ends on July 31.

While the applicant had challenged the environment clearance for the dredging, the tribunal bench observed that it has to evaluate the merit of the case. "The case, therefore, needs to be heard and disposed of expeditiously, preferably before further dredging operation starts," the bench noted.

While NGT had asked the committee to submit reports on environmental status and impacts of the dredging of every visit, the committee had collected sea water and sediments samples for analysis from a visit on May 26. The committee also noted that a large part of the dredging has been complete and damage already done and that this needs to be assessed.