VPT move to minimise dust pollution

Makes it mandatory to cover bulk cargo in general cargo berth with tarpaulin. The port annually handles 17 to 18 million tonne of coking coal, out of which thermal and steam coal are estimated at four to five million tonne.

As part of its efforts to minimise dust pollution, the Visakhapatnam Port has decided to make it mandatory to handle bulk cargo in the general cargo berth by covering with tarpaulin.

The decision was conveyed to all stakeholders, including SAIL, Bhushan Steel, Sesa Sterlite, and NALCO, on Tuesday.

Port Chairman M.T. Krishna Babu told

The Hindu that for handling imported coking coal, major users, including SAIL, spend Rs.2,200 per tonne out of which the port gets Rs.230.

He said, as covering the cargo with tarpaulin would cost just Rs.10 per tonne, the VPT had instructed the users to absorb the additional cost. For steam coal, which could not be covered with tarpaulin, expert opinion would be sought on how to avoid pollution during transportation, he said.

The port annually handles 17 to 18 million tonne of coking coal, out of which thermal and steam coal are estimated at four to five million tonne.

‘Ore Berth 1 ready’

The port officials also told the stakeholders that Ore Berth 1 in the GCB, which was closed following a breakdown, was ready for handling non-coal cargo immediately to decongest traffic. He said they would handle coal in a limited way, that too rail-bound, whenever it was necessary.

Mr. Krishna Babu said they had constituted a task force, comprising civil and mechanical engineers of the port. It would be headed by a consultant.

The task force was mandated to keep a regular tab on the implementation of pollution control measures by the BOT operators, he said.

An international consultant was being appointed to review the entire pollution control apparatus in the port and suggest measures needed to combat pollution, he said.

A team was sent to Goa recently to study automatic truck tyre cleaning system installed by Adani and replicate such a project in Visakhapatnam, for which tenders had been invited. Mechanical road cleaners would also be introduced shortly, he stated.