Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways has issued “HaritSagar”, the Green Port Guidelines to reduce carbon intensity and to develop an environment friendly ecosystem at Major Ports for which no specific budget.
Central Pollution Control Board / State Pollution Control Board periodically monitors the air and water quality at the Ports and also conducts regular environmental audit of Ports. All the ports adhere to the MARPOL convention and hence, strictly comply to all the environmental related guidelines.
Allocation has been made. The following incentives are proposed under these guidelines: –
- Ships using cleaner fuels or equipped with shore power reception facilities will be prioritized in berthing or receive rebates in berth dues to promote sustainability at ports.
- Private Craft Operators at ports using alternative fuels (green fuels) such as Methanol, Ethanol, Hydrogen Fuel Cell technology, etc., will be suitably incentivized.
- Private port operators, stevedores, agents, exporters, and importers who use green fuel or electric vehicles for their entire fleet may receive green certification and be incentivized.
- All truck operators who use the green fuel i.e. CNG/LNG/Hydrogen and its derivative or electric fleet may be identified and incentivized.
- Existing Public-Private Partnership (PPP) concessionaires at ports will be incentivized to adopt eco-friendly and carbon-neutral designs and practices.
Further, Major Ports, including Visakhapatnam Port in Andhra Pradesh have taken a number of steps to reduce pollution at ports, such as: –
- Compliance with the Directorate General of Shipping Guidelines in the SwachhSagar Portal for all vessels visiting at the ports.
- Carbon Reduction through solar power generated by ports.
- Setting up of Sewage Treatment Plant (STP).
- Covered cargo stacks for bulk cargo like Iron ore, coal etc. for controlling dust particles.
- Mist cannons and hydrated sprinklers to prevent the dispersal of mineral dust.
- Mechanization of existing berths resulting in cargo transport through conveyers
- Green Belts developed in ports
- Mechanized sweeping machines to collect the spillage of cargo on roads in operational areas.
Regular awareness campaigns on environmental protection, climate change, water conservation, energy conservation, ecosystem conservation, ban on single- use plastic, World Environment Day celebration, etc. are conducted from time to time at the ports.
This information was given by the The Union Minister of Ports, Shipping & Waterways, Sarbananda Sonowal in a written reply in Lok Sabha.
