Team Goemkarponn
MORMUGAO: The Mormugao Port Authority (MPA) has dismissed reports suggesting that it plans to handle 136 million tonnes of coal, calling the figure “completely false and misleading.” The clarification follows remarks made by social scientist Dr. Jorson Fernandes, quoted in a local media report.
MPA Secretary M. Sankar Babu stated that the port handled 9.76 million tonnes (MT) of coal during 2024–25 and 5.19 MT between April and September 2025, both well within the limits prescribed by the Goa State Pollution Control Board (GSPCB).
He further clarified that projections under the Sagarmala plan are significantly lower. For thermal coal, the estimates are 3.4 MT (basic scenario) and 3.6 MT (optimistic scenario) for 2025, increasing to 5.7 MT and 6.4 MT respectively by 2035. For coking coal, the forecast stands at 19–21 MT in 2025, rising to 34–40 MT by 2035, while coke handling is projected to increase from 1.3–1.4 MT in 2025 to 2.1–2.6 MT by 2035.
According to the port’s approved Master Plan, total coal cargo projections for 2025–26 range from 11.45 MT (pessimistic) to 22.91 MT (optimistic), with 19.21 MT as the realistic estimate. The authority reiterated that there are no plans to develop additional coal-handling infrastructure at Berths 5, 6, or 7, and that overall coal volumes are expected to gradually decline after 2030.
MPA also stressed that ambient air quality is regularly monitored by GSPCB and remains within permissible standards. Pollution is controlled through closed, dome-shaped storage structures and other scientific measures.
The port’s data shows that coal and coke handling dropped to 9.76 MT in 2024–25 from 10.64 MT in 2023–24, while combined coal, thermal coal, and other cargo marginally increased to 11.30 MT from 11.20 MT in the previous year.
“The port’s operations are fully compliant with environmental and regulatory norms, and there is no cause for concern regarding coal handling at Mormugao,” Babu affirmed.
