Bhubaneswar: The State Pollution Control Board (SPCB) is going to conduct public hearings to give environment clearance for construction of two new ports at Astaranga and Subarnarekha during October 2024.
Odisha State Pollution Control Board Member Secretary Dr K Murugesan has issued two public notices for the purposes. As per the notices, public hearing for Subarnarekha Port is scheduled to be held at 11 AM on October 7 at Mouza- Basudevpur under Baliapal Tehsil of Balasore district while hearing for Greenfield port at Astaranga will be held at 11 AM on October 24 at Churiana village.
“It has brought to the notice of all concerned that Subarnarekha Port Private Limited has proposed to have Environmental Assessment for development of All Weather Multipurpose Port (Phase-I) adjacent to Subarnarekha River Mouth at Choumukh Village in Balasore district to obtain Environmental Clearance from Ministry of Environment, Forests & Climate Change, Government of India,” read one of the notices.
The proponent has applied to the State Pollution Control Board, Odisha, Bhubaneswar for a Public Hearing.
The Board has been authorized to conduct environmental public hearing and as such invites suggestions, views, comments and objections on matters relating to environmental aspects of the proposed project from all the persons including bonafide residents, environmental groups and others located at the proposed site, sites of displacement, sites likely to be affected, OSPCB, Member Secretary, Dr Murugesan said.
Any person who is likely to be affected by the grant of Environmental Clearance, who owns his control over the project, any association of persons whether incorporated or likely to be affected by the project and / or functioning in the field of environment and any local authority within any part of whose local limits is within the neighborhood of the proposed project can submit their views and objections to the Board.
The above persons, who desire to submit their views, comments, objections etc. relevant to the project, can submit in writing within 30 days from the date of publication of the notices to the Member Secretary, SPCB through Registered Post.
Besides this, persons interested to submit their views relevant to the proposed project in writing or orally may also do so during the public hearings.
The State Government has identified 14 potential sites for the development of non – major ports, out of which Gopalpur and Dhamra are already operational.
The State government has executed a Concession Agreement (CA) with Creative Port Development Private Limited (CPDPL) in January 2008 for development of an all-weather, deep-water port adjacent to the mouth of Subarnarekha River near Chaumukh village at Baliapal Block in Balasore district.
This Greenfield Port is to be developed on Build, Own, Operate, Share and Transfer basis (BOOST).
As per the provisions of CA, a special project company, Subarnarekha Port Private Limited (SPPL) was incorporated to spearhead the development of the Port.
The Environment and CRZ clearance (EC) for the project was earlier obtained from the Ministry of Environment Forest and Climate Change (MoEF&CC) in March, 2012.
In the meantime, SPPL has modified the scope for development of Phase-1 of Subarnarekha port. SPPL had applied for Fresh ToR and accordingly, MoEF&CC accorded ToR in November, 2023.
So, this Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) report has been prepared in accordance with the approved ToR.
Similarly, Navayuga Engineering Company Limited (NECL), a flagship company of the CVR Group, through a Concession Agreement with the State Government has proposed to develop a port at Astaranga, in Puri District, to connect the mineral rich hinterland to the world through cargo trade.
The proposed port is an all-weather multiuser greenfield port for handling multi-commodity cargo. Astaranga, has been notified as a site for minor port in the Orissa Gazette on April 11, 1997, and further defining the limits of the port in the Orissa Gazette published on August 5, 2009.
The State Government has awarded concession to NECL to develop the Port at Astaranga through Public Private Partnership (PPP) mode on Build, Own, Operate, Share and Transfer (BOOST) basis.
The port development will be undertaken in phases, and the currently proposed Phase – IA development envisages development of required marine and shore-based infrastructure for handling various cargo. The Phase IA development of Astaranga Port has been proposed to handle a cargo of capacity 17.7 MTPA comprising bulk cargo such as Coal, Iron ore, break bulk cargo like Aluminum, General cargo, and Container cargo etc. at 4 berths.