‘Goa waterways cannot handle more iron ore traffic’
April 3rd, 2010 - 4:58 pm ICT by IANSPanaji, April 3 (IANS) Goa’s waterways do not have the capacity to handle any increase in iron ore traffic, a top port official said Saturday.
Chairman of the Goa-based Mormugao Port Trust (MPT) Praveen Agarwal was responding to questions on whether the MPT, Goa’s only major port, would be in a position to handle the projected 100 million tonnes of iron ore, in wake of 100 more mines being cleared by the ministry of environment and forests (MoEF), which is likely to nearly double the state’s mining output.
“We (MPT) will be able to handle it, but I do not know if the waterways of Goa will be able to handle the increase,” Agarwal said. “Increased capacity of mines will not result in increase in transport output,” he said.
The millions of tonnes of iron and manganese ore that Goa extracts from its open cast mines located in the forested hinterland, is currently transported to large ore-export ships by indigenously built barges through a network of two rivers, Mandovi and Zuari, which stretch from the mining heartland to Mormugao.
Once at the port, the ore is transferred from the barges to larger vessels which carry the ore to countries like China, Japan, South Koera and Romania which are major importers of Goa’s low grade iron ore.
“The (river) barges this year carried 54 million tonnes of ore as compared to 44 million tonnes last year. I have doubts whether it can carry any more. The waterways themselves have reached saturation point,” Agarwal said.
Goa presently has nearly 110 operational mines which exported nearly 40 tonnes of ore in the last financial year, according to state government figures. With the MoEF’s granting clearance to 100 more mines in Goa, the number of operational mines is likely to double.
According to the opposition, nearly 18 percent of the Rs.6,000 crore mining industry comprised of illegally extracted ore. Leader of Opposition Manohar Parrikar has repeatedly alleged that Chief Minister Digambar Kamat and several cabinet ministers were sheltering the multi-crore illegal mining industry.
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- Illegal mining forces drop in ore export figures - Apr 05, 2012
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- Goa port to tackle dubious iron ore shipments - Oct 17, 2011
- 40 mining companies in Goa issued notice - Apr 06, 2012
- Ministry orders study on Goa's controversial mining - Aug 23, 2011
- Goa port blames Kamat's ministry for illegal ore export - Oct 11, 2011
- Goa mining lobby flexes muscle, blocks river traffic - Oct 12, 2011
- Goa mining scam pegged at Rs.1,200 crore - Aug 27, 2011
- 'No mechanism to keep tab on illegal mining in Goa' - Apr 03, 2010
- Privatisation of loss-making Goa port plant only a last resort: MP - Nov 10, 2011
- Goa to have wireless trackers on ore-laden trucks - Sep 19, 2011
- Fishermen block Goa port, Coast Guard help sought - Apr 16, 2011
- Panaji Port was illegal mineral export gateway: Official - Sep 18, 2011
Tags: barges, cast mines, china japan, government figures, grade iron, iron ore, leader of opposition, mandovi, manganese ore, ministry of environment, ministry of environment and forests, moef, mpt, port trust, praveen, rs 6, saturation point, south koera, two rivers, zuari