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Status
of Pollution and Environment Management in Ports and Harbours
(Calcutta & Paradeep Port)
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Foreword
while
promoting the economic pursuits also result in environmental impacts.
Navigation, dry docking, ship breaking, loading and unloading operations
are among the various port and harbour related activities, which can
cause environmental impacts. To assess the nature and extent of environmental
pollution from ports and harbours, a team form the Eastern Zonal Office
of Central Pollution Control Board carried out a study in Calcutta
and Paradeep ports during 1995-1999. This report is the outcome of
the study. It indicates that the dissolved oxygen content of the waters
at Kidderpore dock (KP dock) in the Calcutta port ranged from 1 .80
to 7.30 mg/l. The low values of dissolved oxygen may be due to high
algal growth and sediment oxygen demand. It was observed that oil
and grease in water was as much as 74.5 mg/1 during 1996, while the
prescribed standard is 10 mg/l for harbour water. The lead content
in the sediment ranged between 87 and 305 ug/g, |
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while
the Haldia dock waters showed lower values ranging between 28 and
68 ug/g. On the other hand, the waters of Paradeep port contained
dissolved oxygen above 5 mg/l, At the same time, high content of phosphate
was also observed, probably due to mixing of phosphate during rock
phosphate handling. The oil and grease content in the waters of Paradeep
port although less than that of the waters of Calcutta port (maximum
16.9 mg/l) is higher than the prescribed standard. The findings of
the study are indicative of the environmental qualIty in our ports
and harbours, which need attention of the concerned authorities.
I hope, the information contained in this report will be useful to
those who are engaged in the management and development of p.orts
and harbours .. |
Dilip Biswas
Chairman, CPCB
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