MoEF to review Gopalpur environment issues this month

The upgradation work of Gopalpur port has hit a roadblock due to delay in getting the environment clearance for the project from the Union Ministry of Environment and Forest (MoEF).

The MoEF is expected to take a review of the environment issues pertaining to the port in the third week of this month.

The Rs 900 crore project is unable to progress for about a year now though the promoters, Gopalpur Port Ltd (GPL) - a joint venture between Orissa Stevedores Limited (OSL) and Sara International Limited (SIL)- have achieved financial closure for the first phase work.

The project envisaged converting the seasonal port at Gopalpur into an all-weather deep water port.

The environment clearance for the project is delayed due to the objection of the green activists who fear the movement of ships would affect the nesting of Olive Ridley turtles, a rare species, at the Rushikulya river mouth, about 40 km from the port site.

Clearance from the ministry might be a though task for the project as the ministry is examining all aspects including the safety of flora and fauns in the sea near the port, said wildlife activist Biswajit Mohanty.Mohanty and others had written to the MoFE to carefully consider all aspects before giving green signal to the project. They had urged the ministry to tread a cautious path particularly in the aftermath of oil leakage from an anchored foreign ship at Gopalpur in the month of April. The port developers, however, claimed to have taken all necessary measures for the safety of the flora and fauna and were optimistic about getting the environment clearance after the MoEF reviews the status on August 16 and 17.

“We are very much hopeful of getting the environment clearance from the ministry this time”, said Manmohan Moharana, one of the directors of the Gopalpur Port Limited (GPL). The state government has requested the MoEF to clear the project on the basis of the recommendation of the Orissa State Coastal Zone management Authority (OSCZMA).GPL aims to finish the first phase upgradation work within two years after getting the environmental nod. The company has recently signed the loan agreement with a consortium of 11 banks to raise Rs 848.78 crore for the project.

GPL plans to construct the breakwaters, berths, associated material handling facility, stockyards, warehouses and railway infrastructure in the first phase. The defunct port is operating seasonally following the signing of the memorandum of understanding between the state government and GPL in 2006.