Published on August 17, 2013
With 12 major and around 188 minor ports, the Indian port sector has a lot of potential and is developing into a force to be reckoned with. Ports no longer remain a mere point for cargo transfer but have grown to be a hub for progress. With the world turning into a “global village” trade relations between different parts of the country have become stronger and trade via sea remains the cheapest way of transporting goods and raw materials over long distances. Thus ports play a vital role in the socio-economic development of a country. This puts immense pressure on ports, which in turn adversely affects our environment. Ports can not only bring about changes in land use patterns but also impact the coastline. Some of the common environmental problems associated with port-related activities are- erosion, noise and air pollution, dredging etc.
The small natural harbours of the past have now developed into large ports mostly due to construction of larger ships. Harbour expansion has many environmental as well as social impacts. Ports located in/near creeks, fish breeding sites, turtle nesting spots, fishing grounds etc can imbalance the ecosystem. Light pollution from ports situated near beaches can take a heavy toll on nesting turtles and hatchlings as light disrupts their sense of direction. Port-related construction activities often require protective structures such as breakwaters, groynes etc. to be established in the offshore area in order to ensure calm conditions. This also adversely affects the marine environment. Once port operations commence, wastes generated by ship-building, cargo transporting etc. are dumped in the ocean.
With increase in the size and activities of ports, the land a port occupies has also increased. Rising cargo traffic, need for quicker turn-around of ships and handling cargo in bulk, along with handling facilities such as loading arms, conveyor belts, cranes etc. require huge amounts of land. Added to this, residential complexes, power plants, school, hospitals, sewage treatment systems, SEZs and other such infrastructure also take up a lot of space. What works in the benefit of port owners is that coastal land is available at cheap rates and is mostly easier to acquire.
As far as social impact of port development is concerned, large number of local communities get displaced. Local people most often have no proper land rights and are thus easily displaced. They may not only lose their lands but also lose access to the sea, which can affect fishermen whose very livelihood is based on the seas. Often the local communities are asked to vacate these lands on the promise that they will be provided with another place to live. However, false promises and inaction leaves them with no place to live and no means to earn a livelihood.
We have seen the environmental and social impacts of the port sector. So, how do we protect our environment? The solution is not to put a stop to usage of ports and stunt a country’s economic growth. Awareness and a desire to create a route to sustainable development can do wonders not only for the environment but for humanity as a whole. Port authorities can help prevent the havoc caused by further expansion of ports. They can play a pivotal role in promoting sustainable management of our biodiversity. Port authorities can create awareness on coastal biodiversity and prudent use of coastal wetlands, encourage contribution to damage minimization in disaster situations, minimize urban expansion on sensitive coastal habitats and enforce sustainable public procurement guidelines and enable sustainable utilization.
Can “Blue Growth” be achieved? Can innovation and research make ports environmentally neutral? It’s possible, but are we ready for a challenge of such gargantuan proportions?
