Chennai port stopped from handling iron ore and coal

A recent order by the Madras high court to stop handling polluting coal and iron ore from the Chennai port came as a breather to the residents living close to the port. The sad part is this decision may lead to several unemployed people in the region.     
 
According to an official of the port, it is estimated that the port may lose close to Rs. 250 crore annually as a result of this order which stops the port from handling iron and coal, further polluting the area.    
 
On an average, the port is capable of handling around 20 million tones of iron ore and coal. The port employers are coming to terms with this decision and will conduct a thorough investigation before taking the matter up with the Ministry of Shipping about the action that needs to be considered. With an employee strength of around 5,000, there could be an additional 5,000 waiting to be affected.
 
A PIL filed by the Avoor Muthiah Maistry Street Residents’ Welfare Association in North Chennai prior to 9 years resulted in this decision announced by Justice Elipe Dharma Rao and M. Venugopal.
 
The Chennai Port Trust had not taken enough measures to curb the issue of pollution. The court observed the port had not taken the issue seriously to curb the issue of pollution affecting public security and health, as directed by the Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board.    
 
The court issued an ultimatum to the state government, the centre, Ennore Port Trust and the port trust to take care that none of the affected people should lose their livelihood because of the cargo distribution between the Chennai and Ennore port.  
 
In the year 2009, T.R. Baalu, the then Union Shipping Minister had stated that the port would be clean with a capacity to handle cargo that includes containers and cars, and coal would be handled by the Ennore port once functional.
 
He had said that Chennai will become a clean port and handle clean cargo such as cars and containers, and that coal would be shifted to the nearby Ennore once facilities there was functional. However, the Ministry withdrew the decision citing reasons that it would affect several employees and their livelihood.

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