Major Ports Authority Act 2021
The 2021 Major Ports Authority Act is a legislative framework that vests the Board of Major Port Authorities with the authority to administer, control, and manage major ports. Mormugao Port was brought under the ambit of this Act, leading to its reorganisation from Mormugao Port Trust (MPT) to Mormugao Port Authority (MPA). This Act gives the Board increased autonomy in decision-making, and infrastructural projects related to port development and modernisation would be under their discretion within port limits.
The Board is not required to seek permission from governing bodies for projects within the port’s limits, allowing it to bypass municipal bodies and state government regulations, such as the Town and Country Planning Act and the Goa Land Revenue Code. Criticisms of this Act include the extent of administrative power granted to the Board of MPA and the potential displacement of fishing communities due to the delimitation of port limits. The MPA could evict residents within the port’s limits, and fisherfolk could be barred from fishing in certain areas as they would be deemed as ‘encroachers’ impeding coastline projects.
Activists claim that the infrastructural work within the port would facilitate coal transportation. Currently, the projects planned by the MPA are the re-development of berths 8, 9 and barge berths; increased enhancement of terminal capacity of berths 5 and 6, capital dredging* of channels from 14m to 19.5m for capesize** vessels; construction of a fishing jetty at Vasco Bay, proposed construction of a satellite port in Betul to handle cargo under the jurisdiction of MPA, developing domestic and international terminals at the port and much more. Many of these projects would be undertaken through a public-private partnership (PPP).
The notification of six Goan rivers as national waterways under the 2016 National Waterways Act, with the inclusion of Mormugao Port in the 2021 Major Ports Authority Act, also primes Goa’s evolution into a coal hub.
National Waterways Act 2016
The 2016 National Waterways Act came into force on 12th April 2016, and notified 106 inland waterways across India as national waterways, expanding the list from 5 to 111 waterways. Under this Act, the Inland Waterways Authority of India (IWAI), a statutory body under the Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways, is empowered to regulate and develop national waterways to improve shipping and navigation. Six Goan rivers were notified under this Act: the Mandovi, Zuari, Chapora, Cumbharjua canal, Mapusa, and Sal rivers. A tripartite agreement was signed in 2017 by the Government of Goa, IWAI, and the Mormugao Port Trust (now known as the Mormugao Port Authority, MPA). Under the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), the Goan Government, represented by the Captain of Ports (CoP), is responsible for identifying and proposing infrastructure projects that the IWAI would finance, and the MPA would be responsible for executing these projects. Developmental projects include capital and maintenance dredging, river training, bank protection, navigation aids, a vessel traffic management system (VTMS), and the establishment of infrastructure facilities such as jetties, inland ports, docks, and cargo-handling equipment.
Two important projects planned for the Goan rivers concern civil society and activists: the capital dredging of channels and the construction of barges and jetties to accommodate capesize ships. These projects would enable Mormugao Port to handle higher coal imports, aiding the transformation of Goa into the coal corridor envisioned by the Sagaramala plan.
*Capital dredging is the process of excavating sediment from a seabed or riverbed to create new or deepen existing waterways for ship navigation and to improve access to ports, harbours, or other maritime structures.
**Capesize ships are the largest bulk carriers, with a deadweight tonnage (carrying capacity) ranging from 150,000 to 400,000 tonnes. It is used to transport large quantities of bulk cargo such as coal, iron ore, grain and other commodities.
