The validity of the Coastal Regulatory Zone and Environmental Clearances, sanctioned by the Ministry of Environment and Forests (MoEF) to M/s. Machilipatnam Port Limited (MSL) in 2009 for development of deep water port at Machilipatnam, has expired in November 25, 2014.
According to the Environment Impact Assessment notification – 2006, the clearances issued on November 25, 2009, were valid for five years. M/s. Machilipatnam Port Limited (MPL), consortium of M/s. Navayuga Engineering Company Limited (NECL), and Nagarjuna Construction Company Limited., associates and affiliates of NECL, has appealed to the MoEF to extend the validity of the clearances.
The deep water port is a public private partnership project. “The development of phage-1 of the Machilipatnam port could not be progressed as envisaged, owing to delay in handing over of the land required for the project by the Andhra Pradesh government,” M/s. Machilipatnam Port Limited Director S.B. Puri stated in his updated form-1 (Annexure-1), submitted to the MoEF on August 7. In terms of the concession agreement signed between the A.P. State government and the MPL, an extent of 2,535 hectares of land was to be made available by the State government for the project. According to Mr. Puri, geotechnical investigations and updating of traffic forecast study have been completed by the expert agencies so far.
Numerical model study of wave transformation for firming up design wave height for the breakwater was done by an expert international Hydraulic Laboratory. The 2D physical model study for determining hydrodynamic pressure distribution on breakwater, overtopping discharge and transmitted wave due to overtopping was also completed.
Ray of hopeThe EIA -2006 guidelines say that the period of validity of the CRZ and Environment Clearance may be extended by the regulatory authority concerned for a period of five more years provided an application is made to the regulatory authority by the applicant within the validity period. The first phage of the Machilipatnam Port would include development of the three berths (one meant for iron ore and two for coal) and a separate berth for operation of nearly 1,000 Offshore Support Vessels.
