Sonowal issues 'HaritSagar' guidelines to reduce pollution at ports

Union Minister of Ports, Shipping and Waterways Sarbananda Sonowal issued "HaritSagar" the Green Port Guidelines to reduce carbon intensity and to develop an environment-friendly ecosystem at Major Ports of the country in a written reply in Lok Sabha on Friday.

According to an official statement, the allocations have been made under various incentives for which no specific budget allocations have been made.

State Pollution Control Board periodically monitors the air and water quality at the Ports and also conducts regular environmental audits of Ports. All the ports adhere to the MARPOL convention and hence, strictly comply with all the environmental-related guidelines, said the press release.

The incentives which are proposed under the guidelines are that the 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.

The guidelines also stated that all truck operators who use green fuel i.e. CNG/LNG/Hydrogen and its derivative or electric fleet may be identified and incentivized and 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 Vishakhapatnam Port in Andhra Pradesh have taken a number of steps to reduce pollution at ports which includes compliance with the Directorate General of Shipping Guidelines in the SwachhSagar Portal for all vessels visiting at the ports.

To reduce the pollution further steps like carbon reduction through solar power generated by ports and setting up of Sewage Treatment Plant (STP) have also been taken, said the Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways.