Centre's bid to construct a dry dock within the premises of Cochin Shipyard here got a big boost with a high-level environment ministry panel recommending the Rs 1,799 crore project for environmental and CRZ clearances.
The decision was taken at the meeting of the Expert Appraisal Committee (Infra-2) in New Delhi less than three months after the Committee on Economic Affairs, chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, gave its nod for construction of the new dry dock at Cochin Shipyard Limited (CSL) premises.
Recommending the project for the environmental and Coastal regulation Zone (CRZ) clearance, the committee urged CSL to ensurethere is no damage to existing mangroves patches near the site and also to ensure free flow of water to avoid damage to the mangroves.
The project proponent shall ensure that no creeks or rivers are blocked due to any activities at the project site and free flow of water is maintained, it said.
The panel urged CSL to ensure that shoreline is not disturbeddue to dumping.
Periodical study on shoreline changes shall be conductedand mitigation carried out, if necessary, it said.
Since Ernakulam Channel ultimately meets the sea and the discharge is planned to conform to marine quality standards, the project proponent shall get a marine biodiversity management plan prepared from NIOS or any other marine biology specialist institution and implement the same, it said.
The plan should safeguard the biodiversity of the channel as also the biodiversity impacts as a result of confluence with the sea.
The objective of the project is to augment shipbuilding/ ship repair capacity essentially required to tap the market potential of building specialised and technologically advanced large vessels such as LNG vessels, indigenous aircraft carriers of higher capacity, jack up rigs, drill ships, large dredgers and repairing offshore platforms and large vessels.
The government believes that this big sized dry dock is a critical requirement of CSL to promote ship building and is a step in the direction of its "Make in India" initiative.
The project is expected to generate employment within the country as the ship building and ship repair is a labour intensive industry, having a multiplier effect on employment generation and thereby help in the process of nation-building by way of socio-economic development and growth of manufacturing sector in the country.
Apart from direct employment to 300, about 2,000 personnel are expected to be indirectly employed when the project becomes fully operational.
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