DEVELOPMENT OF VIZHINJAM PORT

Transcription

1 DEPARTMENT OF PORTS GOVERNMENT OF KERALA DEVELOPMENT OF VIZHINJAM PORT RAPID ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT ASSESMENT REPORT February, 2004 L&T-RAMBØLL CONSULTING ENGINEERS LIMITED Corporate Office : Hyderabad Office : 339/340, ANNA SALAI 501, MAHAVIR HOUSE NANDANAM BASHEER BAGH CHENNAI HYDERABAD Tel: / 82 Tel : Fax: Fax : RP010 rev. 2

2 DEPARTMENT OF PORTS GOVERNMENT OF KERALA DEVELOPMENT OF VIZHINJAM PORT FOR IMPLEMENTATION WITH PRIVATE SECTOR PARTICIPATION RAPID ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT ASSESSMENT REPORT TABLE OF CONTENTS Chapter 1: Introduction 1.1 Background 1.2 Site Appreciation 1.3 REIA Study Objective Scope of REIA Study REIA Methodology Environmental Impacts Environmental Management Plan (EMP) 1.4 Structure of REIA Report 1.5 Acknowledgements Chapter 2: Project Development Plan 2.1 General 2.2 Salient Features of the Vizhinjam Port 2.3 Port Traffic 2.4 Development Needs and Planning Considerations Navigational and Operational Requirements Berthing Requirements Cargo Handling Equipment Storage Requirements 2.5 Master Plan of the Vizhinjam Port Planning Considerations Port Layouts Model Studies Master Plan Berthing Requirements Breakwaters Approach Channel and Turning Circle Landuse Plan 2.6 Immediate / Short Term Development Berthing Facilities Container Quay General Cargo Berth Table of Contents Page i

3 2.6.4 Breakwaters Equipment Storage Facilities Dredging Berths Turning Circle Approach Channel Navigational Aids Port Craft Hinterland Connections Communication, Operation and Management Container Security Operations Pollution Control Facilities Water Supply Power Supply Buildings Bunkering Storm Water Drainage Sewerage and Oily Waste Disposal Chapter 3: Baseline Environmental Status 3.1 General 3.2 Regional Setting 3.3 Physical Conditions Topography Geology and Soils Landuse/Land cover 3.4 Compatibility with Coastal Regulation Zone Coastal Zone Management Plan of Thiruvananthapuram Coastal Regulation Zoning in the Project Region 3.5 Sea Area Features Fishing Zones Spawning Area Aquatic Habitats Near Shore Habitats Sand Dunes / Dune Vegetation Traditional Boat Navigation Routes 3.6 Sea Bed Engineering and Oceanographic Conditions Bathymetry Seabed Features Currents HTL / LTL Demarcation Grab Sampling 3.7 Marine Environment Marine Water Quality Marine Biology Sediment Quality Observation on Sediment Quality Benthic Communities 3.8 Terrestrial Environment Meteorological Conditions Air Quality Table of Contents Page ii

4 3.8.3 Ambient Noise Ground Water Quality Soil Quality Flora and Fauna 3.9 Socio-economic Profile Project District Population Characteristcs Occupational Pattern Infrastructure Facilities Industrialisation 3.10 Socio-Economic Profile Study Area Social Profile 3.11 Profile on Fishing Activity Fishing Activity Thiruvananthapuram District Fishing Activity Project Region 3.12 Profile on Tourism Chapter 4: Environmental and Social Impacts 4.1 General 4.2 Vizhinjam Port Activities Construction Phase Operation Phase 4.3 Environmental Impacts Construction Phase Impacts on Seawater Quality and Marine Biology Impacts on Beach Profile, Seabed and Benthos Impacts on Coastal Regulation Zone Impacts on Environmental Aesthetics / Visual Impacts Impacts on Atmosphere Impacts on Water Use Impacts from Quarrying Impacts from Transportation of Construction Material Impacts from Construction of Road / Rail Linkage Impacts from Laying of Water Pipeline 4.4 Socio-Economic Impacts Construction Phase Impacts from Land Acquisition Impacts from Worker Camps Impacts on Vizhinjam Fishery Harbour Impacts on Fishing and Fishing Communities Impacts on Tourism Impacts on Employment Potential Impacts from Induced Development 4.5 Environmental Impacts Operation Phase Impacts from Port Operations Impacts from Inland Cargo Movement Impacts on Water Use Impacts from Maintenance Dredging 4.6 Socio- Economic Impacts - Operation Phase Impacts on Landuse Pattern Impacts on Population Growth Impacts on Vizhinjam Fishery Harbour Impacts on Tourism Impacts on Employment Potential 4.7 Beneficial Impacts Table of Contents Page iii

5 Chapter 5: Environmental Management Plan 5.1 General 5.2 Mitigation Measures Construction Phase Capital Dredging, Reclamation and Construction of Breakwaters Construction of Cargo Berths and Container Stacking Area Quarrying Transportation of Construction Material Construction of Road / Rail Linkage Laying of Water Pipeline Construction Yards Hazardous Material Storage Worker Camps Induced Development 5.3 Mitigation Measures Operation Phase Port Operations Maintenance Dredging Inland Cargo Movement Solid Waste Management Hazardous Material Management Disaster Management Plan Green Belt Development Population Influx due to Vizhinjam Port Training of Personnel 5.4 Environmental Monitoring 5.5 Institutional Mechanism Reporting Procedures 5.6 Implementation Schedule and Cost Estimation Implementation Schedule Budgetary Estimates for Environmental Monitoring LIST OF FIGURES Chapter 1 Figure FD0101 : Location Map Figure FD0102 : Study Area Map 10 km Radius Chapter 2 Figure FD0201 : Alternative I (Short Term) Figure FD0202 : Alternative I (Long Term) Figure FD0203 : Alternative II Figure FD0204 : Alternative III (Short Term) Figure FD0205 : Alternative III (Long Term) Figure FD0206 : Master Plan Figure FD0207 : Layout Plan Short Term Figure FD0208 : Landuse Plan Long Term Figure FD0209 : Typical Arrangement of Container Berth Mainline Figure FD0210 : Typical Arrangement of Container Berth Feeder line Figure FD0211 : Typical Arrangement of General Cargo Berth Figure FD0212 : Typical Cross Section of Breakwater Table of Contents Page iv

6 Figure FD0213 : Existing Road / Rail Connections Figure FD0214 : Proposed Road Connectivity Option 1 Figure FD0215 : Proposed Road / Rail Connectivity Option 2 Figure FD0216 : Typical Cross Section of Proposed Road / Rail Corridor Chapter 3 Figure FD0301 : Landuse / Land Cover Map Figure FD0302 : Demarcation of High Tide Line and Low Tide Line Figure FD0303 : Marine Environment Monitoring Locations Figure FD0304 : Wind Rose Diagram Figure FD0305 : Ambient Air Quality Monitoring Locations Figure FD0306 : Noise Level Monitoring Locations Figure FD0307 : Ground Water Quality Monitoring Locations Figure FD0308 : Soil Quality Monitoring Locations Figure FD0309 : Socio Economic Survey Zones Figure FD0310 : Fishing Villages and Fish Landing Centres in the Vicinity of Vizhinjam Port Chapter 5 Figure FD0501 : Proposed Solid Waste Management Site LIST OF TABLES Chapter 2 Table 2-1 : Traffic to Vizhinjam Port (Moderate Scenario) Table 2-2 : Design Vessel sizes and Dimensions Table 2-3 : Requirement of Number of Berths/Berth Length Table 2-4 : Summary of Container Cargo Handling Equipment Table 2-5 : Storage Area Requirements for Container Cargo (Cumulative) Table 2-6 : Storage Requirement for General Cargo (Cumulative) Table 2-7 : Berthing Requirements Table 2-8 : Berthing Facilities For Immediate / Short Term Development Table 2-9 : Summary of Cargo Handling Equipment Table 2-10 : Storage Requirement for Container Cargo Table 2-11 : Storage Requirement for General Cargo Table 2-12 : Water Requirements Table 2-13 : Estimated Electrical Demand (in MW) Chapter 3 Table 3-1 : Spatial Distribution and Extent of Level -II Land use / Land Cover Classes in the Study Area Table 3-2 : Seabed Slopes in the Project Area Table 3-3 : Observed Current at Project Location Table 3-4 : Marine Water Sampling Locations Table 3-5 : Parameters Monitored for Marine Water Quality Table 3-6 : Plankton Sampling Locations Table 3-7 : Marine Sediment Sampling Locations Table 3-8 : Parameter Monitored for Sediment Quality Table of Contents Page v

7 Table 3-9 : Meteorological Parameters in the Study Area Table 3-10 : Ambient Air Quality Monitoring Locations Table 3-11 : Ambient Air Quality Particulate Matter Table 3-12 : Ambient Air Quality - Gaseous Pollutants Table 3-13 : Noise Level Monitoring Locations Table 3-14 : Noise Levels Day, Night and Day Night equivalents in db (A) Table 3-15 : Ground Water Sampling Locations Table 3-16 : Soil Sampling Locations Table 3-17 : Geographical Area, No. of HH, Population, Density, Sex-Ratio in the Study Table 3-18 : Cluster Wise Statistics Related to the Fishermen in the Vicinity of VPPA Table 3-19 : Places of Interest Chapter 5 Table 5-1 : List of Tree Species Suitable for Green Belt Development Table 5-2 : Costs for Environmental Monitoring during Developmental Phase Table 5-3 : Costs for Environmental Monitoring during Operation Phase LIST OF ENCLOSURES Appendices Appendix A : Baseline Environmental Data Report Appendix B : Socio-Economic Surveys Report Annexures Annexure A : Social Surveys Questionnaire Annexure B : Social Surveys Data Tables Annexure C : Socio-Economic Case Studies Annexure D : Environmental Monitoring Programme LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS GoK : Government of Kerala AAQ : Ambient Air Quality APHA : American Public Health Association CESS : Centre for Earth Science Studies CFE : Consent For Establishment CMFRI : Central Marine Fisheries Research Institute CO : Carbon Monoxide CPCB : Central Pollution Control Board CRZ : Coastal Regulation Zone CZMP : Coastal Zone Management Plan DO : Dissolved Oxygen DoP : Director of Ports EMP : Environmental Management Plan FPD : Fisheries and Ports Department GoI : Government of India Table of Contents Page vi

8 HC : Hydro Carbons HTL : High Tide Line KMDC : Kerala Maritime Development Corporation KSEB : Kerala State Electricity Board KSPCB : Kerala State Pollution Control Board LTC : L&T Capital Company Limited LTL : Low Tide Line LTR : L&T-RAMBOLL Consulting Engineers Limited MoEF : Ministry of Environment and Forests MSL : Mean Sea Level NH : National Highway NOC : No Objection Certificate NO x : Nitrogen Di Oxide OPST : Operational and Performance Standards PIC : Public Information Consultation PUC : Pollution Under Control REIA : Rapid Environmental Impact Assessment RMC : Rogge Marine Consulting RPM : Respirable Particulate Matter RTG : Rubber Tyre Gantry SPM : Suspended Particulate Matter SO 2 : Sulphur DiOxide VCZ : Very Core Zone VPPA : Vizhinjam Port Project Area Table of Contents Page vii

9 CHAPTER 1 INTRODUCTION

10 1 Introduction 1.1 Background The state of Kerala, located along the West Coast of India, is endowed with a coastline of 580 km. Along this coast, there are 14 minor ports, 3 intermediate ports and one major port i.e. Cochin. The minor ports and the intermediate ports come under the jurisdiction of Department of Ports, Government of Kerala and the Cochin Port is under the jurisdiction of Ministry of Shipping, Government of India. Out of the minor / intermediate ports, Vizhinjam Port is one which has been accorded Minor Port status in Since then, a fishing harbour and a custom port has been developed with limited facilities like a wharf and transit shed. Other than Cochin Port, none of the other ports including Vizhinjam along the Kerala coast handle significant amount of cargo. A number of reasons have been attributed to this situation, significant among them being lack of importance to the state ports, poor hinterland connections, existence of Major Port at Cochin and proximity to another Major Port at Tuticorin Port in Tamil Nadu. Further, rapid strides in shipping trade and technology necessitate specialised handling systems, which are not available at the state ports. Lack of adequate funds with the authorities resulted in non-investments, which proved detrimental to the state ports. The onset of liberalisation and globalisation of Indian economy in 1991 has resulted in attracting private sector investments in general. In line with the Government of India (GoI) policies, Government of Kerala (GoK) also adopted a pro-active approach to these changes and drafted a policy for development of port infrastructure and inland navigation. The policy redefines the role of the principal agencies mandated with maritime issues such as Fisheries and Ports Department (FPD), Director of Ports (DoP) and Kerala Maritime Development Corporation (KMDC) in the Business of Ports and outlined the privatisation guidelines. Now, GoK is in the process of finalising these policies and guidelines for port investment, which are likely to be in place shortly. With this background, Government of Kerala is poised to attract investments and has embarked on development of a Port at Vizhinjam with Private Sector Participation (PSP). GoK decided to appoint a Consultant to carry out the services required for the development of modern port at Vizhinjam. Following an international competitive bidding, GoK appointed L&T-RAMBØLL Consulting Engineers Limited (LTR) in association with Rogge Marine Consulting (RMC), G.M.B.H, Germany; RAMBØLL, Denmark; and L&T-Capital Company Limited (LTC) as Consultants to carry out a Techno-Economic Feasibility Study, project structuring and assisting in procurement of Developer. The scope of services of the project comprises carrying out the project, in three phases, as follows: Phase I: Traffic Assessment and Preliminary Viability Phase II: Detailed Feasibility and Project Structuring Phase III: Assistance towards Technical and Financial Closure As a part of the Phase I study, a Rapid Environmental Impact Assessment study (REIA) needs to be carried out. This Report, Rapid Environmental Impact Assessment Report is one of the deliverables under the Phase I work. The REIA study has been carried out in a format suitable for seeking No Objection Certificate / Consent for Establishment (NOC / CFE) from the statutory authorities. 1 Introduction Page 1-1

11 1.2 Site Appreciation Vizhinjam Port is located, almost, at the southern tip of India in the state of Kerala. It is located about 20 km south of Thiruvananthapuram, the capital city of Kerala state. The proposed site for development of Vizhinjam Port is located at Latitude 8 o 22 N and Longitude 77 o E. Vizhinjam is endowed with a natural bay formed by a rocky promontory on the northern side and some rocky outcrops on the southern side. A map showing the project location is enclosed as Figure FD0101. The site at Vizhinjam enjoys a natural water depth of around 24 m within a nautical mile from the coast. It is located very close to the international shipping route, about 10 nautical miles, which connects UK, West Asia with Far East. These two factors make Vizhinjam a promising candidate for a world-class port. Additional advantages include littoral transport being minimal along this coast, thus, practically relieving the port from maintenance dredging, unlike most port locations. Some of the salient features of the site are: Deepwater close to the shore Proximity to International shipping routes Insignificant littoral drift and sediment transport No ecologically sensitive areas reported along this stretch No Resettlement and Rehabilitation issues involved No active fishing grounds reported in the immediate vicinity of the offshore project area Proximity to the national road and rail networks viz., NH 47 (Thiruvanthapuram and Nagercoil) and Thiruvananthapuram Nagercoil section of Southern Railway. 1.3 REIA Study Objective The objective of this assessment was to elaborate the task of collecting and presenting necessary information on environmental and social features of Vizhinjam Port Project Area (VPPA) and carrying out Rapid EIA Study of the proposed project that will assist the prospective Developer to understand the critical environmental and social issues related to the project Scope of REIA Study The scope of the REIA Study is: To collect and review the past reports / secondary data To establish the baseline environmental and social conditions To assess the environmental and social impacts on the offshore and onshore environment, and on socio-economic conditions due to the development of the proposed Vizhinjam Port To prepare an Environmental Management Plan (EMP) Technical Assistance to GoK while seeking approvals from Kerala State Pollution Control Board (KSPCB) REIA Methodology The REIA study was carried out as per the guidelines of Ministry of Environment and Forests framed for Ports and Harbour. A study area of 10 km radius with the Vizhinjam Port as centre 1 Introduction Page 1-2

12 has been earmarked for the study. The study was carried out during the months of April May A map showing the REIA study area is enclosed as Figure FD0102. The REIA study was carried out covering the following tasks Baseline Environmental Data Generation Baseline environmental data was generated both for the offshore and onshore environmental attributes in the study area. In addition, sample socio-economic surveys were carried out to assess the socio-economic profile of the Vizhinjam region. Offshore Environment Marine Water Quality To quantify the impacts arising due to the development of Vizhinjam Port, marine water samples were collected using Nishkin Sampler at selected locations and were analysed for the physico-chemical characteristics, nutrient and organic status, heavy metal concentrations and the plankton content. Sediment Quality Sediment samples were collected using Peterson s Grab Sampler at selected locations to assess the physico-chemical characteristics including benthic communities in the Vizhinjam Port area. Marine Biology The plankton content in the marine waters were assessed by towing a plankton net (mesh size 50 microns) and the sediment samples for assessing the biological characteristics were preserved with Rose Bengal and formalin solutions for assessment of meio and macro benthos. Onshore Environment Meteorology The meteorological parameters were recorded during the study period through installation of an automatic weather station and rain gauge in Vizhinjam. The parameters recorded included wind speed, wind direction, temperature, relative humidity and rainfall on hourly basis. Air Environment To assess the air quality status of the study area, a network of ambient air quality monitoring stations were established. The monitoring stations were selected based on the prevailing pattern of wind directions and wind speeds in the region. Also, the climatological conditions, land use and human activities were taken into consideration. The air quality was monitored for Suspended Particulate Matter (SPM), Respirable Particulate Matter (RPM) and gaseous pollutants like Sulphur dioxide (SO 2 ), Oxides of Nitrogen (NO x ), Carbon monoxide (CO) and Hydrocarbons (HC). These pollutants were monitored on 24 hourly basis except CO, which 1 Introduction Page 1-3

13 was monitored 8 hourly. Respirable Dust Samplers (RDS) with attachments for gaseous sampling were used for monitoring the air quality parameters. Noise Levels To evaluate the noise pollution in the study area, noise levels were monitored at selected locations in the study area using a hand-held sound level meter. Ground Water Quality Ground water quality was monitored through collection of water samples in the study area. The samples were analysed for various physico-chemical and bacteriological parameters. Land Environment The landuse / landcover in the study area was arrived through interpretation of the Satellite Imagery. In addition, soil samples were collected to assess the existing quality of the soil. Socio-Economic Aspects Information related to socio-economic conditions in the Vizhinjam region was established through collection of data from Department of Socio-Economics, Government of Kerala. Apart from this, a sample socio-economic survey was also conducted to arrive at a meaningful profile of the region. Further, information relating to the fishing communities was collected from the Department of Fisheries Environmental Impacts The various environmental impacts, which are likely to arise due to the development (construction) and operation of the Vizhinjam Port, are studied in detail with respect to the facilities being proposed in the port. Further, the impacts have been assessed taking into consideration the existing baseline status of the offshore, onshore and socio-economic components Environmental Management Plan (EMP) An Environmental Management Plan (EMP) has been prepared which presents the various mitigation measures, pre (during construction) and post (during operation) project environmental monitoring, institutional mechanism supported with necessary budgetary estimates. 1.4 Structure of REIA Report The structure of the REIA Report is as follows: Chapter 1 Introduction Chapter 2 Project Development Plan Chapter 3 Baseline Environmental Status Chapter 4 Environment and Social Impacts Chapter 5 Environmental Management Plan 1 Introduction Page 1-4

14 Chapter 2 presents the details of project location, the different components of the Vizhinjam Port and the supporting facilities. Chapter 3 presents the baseline environmental status of the project area. It covers description of the study area including the Vizhinjam Port site. The baseline environmental status is presented for offshore and onshore environments. The offshore environmental study included sea area features, water and sediment quality, and biological status. The onshore environment included ambient air quality, noise levels, ground water quality and soil quality. A separate section covering the socio-economic status of the project area has been presented which includes the population characteristics, profile of the fishing communities in the area and existing infrastructure. Chapter 4 presents an assessment of various environmental and social impacts which are likely to occur due to the development and operation of the Vizhinjam Port with special emphasis on the environmental and social issues identified in the baseline environmental assessment. The impact assessment covered both offshore and onshore environments. Chapter 5 presents the Environmental Management Plan (EMP). The EMP presents the summary of the impacts, mitigation measures, monitoring programme, budgetary estimates and integration of the EMP with the project activities. Annexures of respective chapters have been presented at the end of the chapter. The Environmental Data Report and Socio-Economic Survey Report are given as Appendix A and Appendix B, respectively, at the end of the report. 1.5 Acknowledgements With great pleasure, we would like to express our gratitude to all the officials of the GoK, particularly DoP, for extending their co-operation and providing valuable suggestions during the study. 1 Introduction Page 1-5

15 FIGURES

16 CHAPTER 2 PROJECT DEVELOPMENT PLAN

17 2 Project Development Plan 2.1 General Consultants have carried out detailed Techno-Economic Studies for the development of Vizhinjam Port and presented in various reports. This Chapter briefly discusses about the Project Development Plan for Vizhinjam Port as a transhipment hub under the following main heads: Salient features of Vizhinjam Port Port traffic Development needs and planning considerations Master Plan of Vizhinjam Port Immediate and short-term development Project development schedule. 2.2 Salient Features of Vizhinjam Port The site at Vizhinjam enjoys a natural water depth of around 24 m within one nautical mile from the coast and is also located near to the international sea route. These two principal factors make Vizhinjam a promising location for development of an all weather deep-water port. Additional advantages include, amongst others, littoral transport being minimum along the coast, thus, practically relieving the port from maintenance dredging, unlike at most other locations of Indian Ports. The proximity to the international shipping route of the proposed Vizhinjam Port would attract a fair share of the container transhipment traffic, meant for India and beyond that is currently being handled by foreign ports at Salalah / Oman, Al Fujairah / UAE Dubai, Colombo, Singapore and West Port / Malaysia. As a result of the present scenario, the Indian shippers and forwarders, engaged in exports and imports, incur substantial foreign exchange outflows, in addition to additional time, risks and costs for transhipment at these foreign ports. The development of a container hub at the proposed location could, therefore, save considerable foreign exchange outflow and more importantly, increase the global competitiveness of Indian exports and that of Kerala in particular due to transhipment through Vizhinjam Port. 2.3 Port Traffic The port traffic considered for the Vizhinjam Port development is summarised in Table 2-1 and Table 2-2 below. Table 2-1: Container Traffic to Vizhinjam Port (Traffic Figures in Million TEU) Year Pessimistic Moderate Optimistic Movement by Road / Rail Project Development Plan Page 2-1

18 Year Pessimistic Moderate Optimistic Movement by Feeder Vessels Year Pessimistic Moderate Optimistic Table 2-2: Hinterland Traffic Year Hinterland Traffic General Cargo Container Cargo in million tonnes in million TEUs Development Needs and Planning Considerations In order to evaluate the conceptual layout plans for a greenfield port, the first step is to assess the facility requirements in terms of number of berths, required cargo handling facilities, navigational and operational parameters, etc. The next step is to identify suitable locations within the proposed area, where these facilities could be developed. The basic navigational needs, such as water depths and widths in approach channel, harbour basin and at berths; tranquillity conditions inside the harbour, adequate stopping distance for vessels of largest size entering the harbour, sufficient water area for easy manoeuvrability of vessels and crafts throughout the year, as well as efficient fenders and mooring systems are also planned. 2 Project Development Plan Page 2-2

19 2.4.1 Navigational and Operational Requirements As a pre-requisite for planning the layout of a port with the required facilities, it is essential to set the basic criteria for the design of the various components like navigational and operational aspects to handle different types of vessels likely to call at the port and for loading / unloading operations. These conditions are related to the marine environmental conditions at the location of the terminals. They comprise the following aspects: Vessel type and dimension Operational criteria Protection against prevailing waves and winds Minimum vessel speed and stopping distance. These criteria lead to: Navigational channel dimensions Manoeuvring area dimensions Berthing area dimensions Minimum vessel speed Vessel Sizes Detailed Vessel Size Analysis has been carried out to arrive at the most optimal vessel sizes, which is important in planning the Vizhinjam Port. The principal dimensions of the design vessels for different types of cargo for Vizhinjam Port are summarised in Table 2-3. Table 2-3: Design Vessel Sizes and Dimensions Container Vessel (TEU) LOA (m) Beam (m) Draft (m) Main Line Vessels Short-Term 8, Medium-Term 10, Long-Term 12, Feeder Vessels Short-Term 1, Medium-Term 1, Long-Term 2, General Cargo Vessels (DWT) Short-Term 20, Medium-Term 40, Long-Term 40, Operational Criteria In planning port facilities for handling different types of cargoes, the operational criteria for vessels handling and ship shore transfer of cargo need to be taken into account. Vessel handling and / or ship to shore transfer of cargo operations can be interrupted due to any one of the following reasons: 2 Project Development Plan Page 2-3

20 Pilots cannot board arriving vessel due to rough sea and weather conditions. Tugs are unable to assist in manoeuvring the vessels because of rough weather conditions and hence, mooring operations are not possible. Motion of moored vessels is too high to continue ship to shore cargo transfer operations. Vessels have to leave the berth because of excessive mooring forces. These aspects are discussed in more detail hereunder: a) Pilot Boarding Vessels visiting the port will need the services of a pilot for safe and efficient navigation to and from the port. A pilot will be taken from a shore-based station to the pilot boarding area by a pilot launch. The governing criteria for pilot boarding are the acceptable sea conditions for the pilot launch when sailing to the pilot boarding area and when boarding the vessel. The limiting operational wave criteria for pilot boarding is Hs = 1.5m. b) Tug Assistance, Ship Berthing Vessels arriving at the port need the assistance of tugs during the stopping and berthing manoeuvre. Vessel berthing needs acceptable sea condition such that fender forces are not exceeded and the risk of collision / damage to berth is low. Upon departure, ballast vessels need some tug assistance to de-berth and line up for departure. The operational criteria for tug assistance are determined by the ability to fasten the tugs to the vessels and acceptable forces in the lines. The operational limit wave criteria for tug assistance and berthing manoeuvres of the sizes of vessels considered is equal to Hs=1.5m. c) Ship shore Cargo Transfer Limits When motions of moored vessels increase and tend to become unstable, cargo-handling operations have to cease to prevent damage to the vessels and cargo handling equipment. Waves, currents and winds mainly induce motions of moored ships. The ship conditions for a given sea state depends on ship dimension and direction of wave motion. The acceptable sea state conditions increase as the size of the ship increases. The initial limit is lowest for beam sea and highest for head sea. The wave height for different direction of wave attack on ships before loading and unloading operations ought to be stopped are given below: Type of Ship Limiting Wave Height Hs (m) 0 0 (head on or stern on) General cargo Containers Dry bulk loading Dry bulk unloading Tankers: 30,000 DWT , ,000 DWT Project Development Plan Page 2-4

21 The values given above refer to the heights of residual deepwater waves with high periods in the range of about 7 to 12 sec. When the wave height is exceeded, cargo-handling operations have to be stopped. d) Survival Conditions When mooring forces become too high, vessels have to leave the berth. The conditions at which this occurs are defined as survival conditions and are mainly dependent on vessel size and wave conditions. Survival criteria are generally assessed as 1.5 times the acceptable wave height for cargo handling Protection Against Waves For providing tranquillity conditions in the harbour basin and at the berths, for smooth loading / unloading operations, necessary protection in the form of breakwaters against predominant wave directions may need to be provided. The alignment and length of breakwaters will be governed by the following factors: Predominant wave direction Water area requirement Number of berths requiring protection Stopping distance for the vessel Stopping Distance The length of the protected approach channel upto the turning circle should be sufficient to provide safe stopping distance for all vessels. It should be 3 to 5 times the length of the largest vessel visiting the port Navigation Channel Dimensions The channel alignment has to be oriented considering the following aspects: The channel be oriented so as to avoid cross winds and currents. The channel be aligned in a straight line as far as possible. The channel be oriented so as to reach the deep-water contours in shortest possible distance (this is to optimize the quantity of dredging). The dimensions of the navigation channel to the terminal are dependent on the vessel size, the behaviour of the vessel when sailing through the channel, the environmental and maritime conditions (winds, currents and waves) and the channel bottom conditions. Channel design primarily involves the determination of the safe channel width and depth for the dimensions of the design vessel. A number of American, British and International Standards are available for channel design. However, the primary source of reference is Permanent International Association of Navigation Congress (PIANC), International Association of Ports (IAPH): Approach Channels A Guide for Design, Final Report of the Joint Working Group, June Channel Width The minimum width of a straight channel depends on the size and manoeuvrability of the vessel navigating the channel, the type of channel bank, the effects of other vessels in the 2 Project Development Plan Page 2-5

22 channel and the effects of wind and currents. The required width comprises three main zones viz., manoeuvring lane, ship clearance lane and bank clearance. Additional channel widths have to be provided for considerations such as vessel speed, cross winds, cross currents, longitudinal current, significant wave height and wave length, aids to navigation, nature of sea bottom, depth of waterway, cargo hazard level and traffic density. The width of the channel is normally determined as multiple of the beam of the largest design vessel which enters the port. The required width of the channel (two way traffic) considering all these aspects with specific reference to the environmental conditions prevailing at the proposed site is worked out as follows: Basic manoeuvring lane : 3.3 B Wind effects : 0.5 B Cross currents (moderate: 0.5 to 1.5 kn) : 0.8 B Wave action : 0.0 B Aids to Navigation System : 0.2 B Bank Clearance (both sides sloping) : 1.0 B Bottom Surface : 0.2 B Depth of waterway : 0.4 B Cargo hazard level : 0.6 B Total 7.0 B The design vessel considered has a beam of 46 m in short term, 50 m in medium and 60 m in long term. Accordingly, 320 m wide channel during short term, 350 m in the medium term and 420 m during long term are proposed for Vizhinjam Port Channel Depth The depth in the channel should be substantially greater than the static draughts of the vessels using the waterway to ensure safe navigation. Generally, the depth in the channel is determined by: vessel s loaded draught; trim or tilt due to the loading within the holds; ship s motion due to waves, such as pitch, roll and heave; character of the sea bottom, such as soft or hard; wind influence of water level and tidal variations; and sinkage of the vessel due to squat or bottom suction. Considering the above factors, the under keel clearance is taken as 15% of the draught of the design vessel in the channel in sheltered areas and 20% in unsheltered areas. From the above considerations, the depths required in the navigation channel at Vizhinjam Port are worked out and presented below: 2 Project Development Plan Page 2-6

23 Outer Channel Inner Channel Short-Term : 17.4 m 16.7 m Medium-Term : 18.0 m 17.3 m Long-Term : 20.4 m 19.6 m Manoeuvring Area Dimensions The location of the manoeuvring area or the turning basin, required to swing and berth the vessels, is very important and it s design must provide the proper configuration, the proper dimensions and access. The size of the manoeuvring area is a function of the length and manoeuvrability of the vessels and the time available for executing the turning manoeuvred. The optimum configuration of such basin would be circular. By considering environmental conditions and the fact that vessels will be assisted by tugs, the diameter of the turning circle is taken as 3 times maximum length of the vessel in unsheltered areas and 2 times in sheltered areas. The depth is taken as 115% of the fully loaded draft of the design vessel that will use the marine facilities. The above discussion leads to the following diameter and depths for turning circle for safe manoeuvring of design vessel for short, medium and long term development proposed at Vizhinjam Port. Short-Term : 650m φ and 16.7 m depth Medium-Term : 690m φ and 17.3 m depth Long-Term : 730m φ and 19.6 m depth Tugs and Launches For effective handling of vessel sizes during the short-term development of the Vizhinjam Port two tugs of about 20 T to 40 T bollard pull have been proposed. The tugs are equipped with necessary fire fighting arrangements along with necessary pollution control equipment. It is also proposed to provide the following launches in the short- term development: Pilot Launch - 2 no. (25 knots) Survey Launch - 1 no. (10 knots) Bilge Barge - 1 no Berthing Requirements The stage wise requirements for berths have been worked out taking into consideration the throughput, parcel size, cargo handling. The number of berths required for different commodities are summarised in Table Project Development Plan Page 2-7

24 Table 2-4: Requirement of Number of Berths / Berth Length S. No. Container Cargo Description Short Term ( ) Medium Term ( ) Long Term ( ) 1 Number of mainline berths Number of feeder berths Berth length required for main line vessels 4 Berth length required for feeder vessels + general cargo 360 m/berth 175 m/berth 380 m/berth 190 m/berth 400 m/berth 210 m/berth 5 Berth length required Berth length provided * * Additional berth length is provided to accommodate mainline / feeder vessels for flexibility and for handling of general cargo Cargo Handling Equipment The installation of mechanical cargo handling equipment on ship berths and in storage / stackyard areas for unloading / loading has been proposed to match the traffic demand. A summary statement listing the equipment proposed for installation in different stages of the development is presented in Table 2-5. Table 2-5: Summary of Container Cargo Handling Equipment S. No. 1 Containers Cargo Equipment Type Rated Capacity Berth Equipment Quay Cranes Nos. (Incremental) Post Panamax type 50 t Panamax type 40 t Stackyard Equipment RTGs t Toplift Trucks 20 t Reach Stackers 50 t Tractors Trailers 50 t (Note: The number of equipment shown under medium and long term is additional.) 2 Project Development Plan Page 2-8

25 General Cargo General cargo will be operated using ship-mounted cranes at the rate of 300t/h in the shortterm, 500t/h in the medium-term and 750t/h in the long-term Storage Requirements The storage yard acts as a buffer between the ship unloading system and cargo evacuation system. Storage area must be planned so that a maximum amount of material can be stored in a minimum area. The area required depends on several factors and it varies from cargo to cargo. Generally, it is dependent on the factors like ship parcel size; ship arrival distribution; hinterland transport distribution; and ship loading and unloading rates. Generally the rate of unloading system is higher than the rate of evacuation system. If the storage capacity is insufficient then the ship will be waiting to unload the cargo. The UNCTAD manual on the port development gives guidelines for storage area dimensioning as a function of annual throughput and average parcel size. These guidelines reduce the probability of the disruptions of the ships due to non-availability of stack yard to less than one percent. Based on the above, storage area requirements have been worked out and presented in the following Table 2-6 and Table 2-7. Table 2-6: Storage Area Requirements for Container Cargo (Cumulative) Description Short Term ( ) Medium Term ( ) Long Term ( ) Container Parking Yard Throughput ( 000TEU) Area (ha) Container Freight station Storage Demand ( 000TEU) Area (ha) Table 2-7: Storage Requirement for General Cargo (Cumulative) Items Short Term ( ) Medium Term ( ) Long Term ( ) Throughput ( 000t) Storage Demand (T) 2.5 Master Plan of Vizhinjam Port Open Covered A port development plan need to have Master Plan showing development concept and potential plan indicating the total developmental solutions to meet the ultimate requirements. Functionally, the port shall provide facilities to receive / dispatch and handle efficiently the projected cargo from / to the vessels (of different sizes) that will be calling at the port in the future. Normally, a Master Plan is developed for a time horizon of years as any prediction of cargo throughput (and the matching development requirements, in terms of port operational needs) beyond this period may not be very accurate. The Master Plan need to 2 Project Development Plan Page 2-9

26 allow development in stages to meet the demands as they come and grow and also be flexible to incorporate mid course modifications to be responsive to emerging scenarios (possible containerisation of general cargo) as time goes on. In the case of Vizhinjam Port, a Master Plan for port development has been drawn up to cater for the traffic build up upto the year 2032 AD in three stages viz., short term, medium term and long term. The port facilities are planned for moderate scenario of traffic, but with a provision to cater for Optimistic scenarios of traffic projections. Master Plan has been prepared based on the facility requirements identified in the previous sections and planning parameters defined in the following sections Planning Considerations Harbour Layout Considerations The following attributes have been considered during the planning of the harbour layouts: Bathymetry Wave incidence Required Tranquillity in harbour areas Littoral Drift Management Expansion in stages Environmental Impact. a) Bathymetry and Sub-sea Soil Conditions Recent Bathymetry surveys indicate that 10 m, 15 m and 20 m contours occur at 350 m, 900 m, and 1200 m respectively from the shoreline towards southern side of the existing fishing harbour. The shallow seismic survey and geotechnical investigations results show presence of rock at varying depths in the proposed port development area. There are some exposed rock patches at two / three places. These aspects guided the harbour planning, the breakwater lengths and their alignment on principles of optimisation for breakwater construction and dredging requirements. Layout has been prepared by avoiding rock dredging as far as possible. b) Wave Incidence and Tranquillity The near-shore wave simulations (model studies) showed that the near-shore waters off Vizhinjam are exposed to waves from the west during the SW monsoon and SSW and S during the NE monsoon. About five months of the year waves are from the west and northwest direction and the other seven months predominant waves are from south. Hence, the harbour layout for development will have a north breakwater extending upto 22 m depth contour for protection against waves from the S and SW; and a south breakwater extending upto 15 m depth contour for protection against waves from SE. This breakwater protection will give the desired tranquillity conditions at the berths and vessel manoeuvring area. c) Littoral Drift Management The net littoral drift on the West Coast of India is not as severe as on the East Coast. Considering pre-monsoon, monsoon and post-monsoon seasons, the net long shore sediment transport is not significant. However during monsoon season, there is a net drift of about 0.06 million m 3 per annum towards south. Due to the change in sediment movement 2 Project Development Plan Page 2-10

27 direction and because of the headland north of the Vizhinjam Fishery Harbour, there will not be any sediment problem near north breakwater. Sediment deposition may occur near south breakwater during non-monsoon season and erosion during monsoon season. Exact sediment movement near the south breakwater would be studied in detail for the project. Since channel is located at 17 to 20 m contour, there will not be any sediment problem in the channel. d) Stages of Development The port is planned to be developed in stages to meet the demands arising out of progressive increase in traffic. The harbour layout has been planned for developments in the following stages Short-Term Medium-Term Long-Term It is to be noted that the port facilities have to be developed continuously over the master plan period and the harbour layout plan drawn up for the above stages are only a milestone in the port development plan. e) Environmental Aspects The harbour and port layout has been so planned as to group the facilities in such a way that the environmental management of different types and degree of impact become area specific and thus, cost effective to provide. While planning layout, social aspects such as fishing, etc. are duly considered. The container transhipment is the main cargo to the port and some amount of general cargo, which is segregated, is located in another area Port Layouts Based on the existing site conditions at Vizhinjam and in the absence of any naturally protected and sufficiently large water area available near Vizhinjam, the following two options for developing the port are considered: By dredging onshore by creating a lagoon type harbour connected to sea through an entrance channel protected by short breakwaters on either side of it; By creating an outer harbour offshore protected by long breakwaters. In the first option, the length of the breakwaters would be small but the quantum of dredging would be large. In the second option, the dredging quantity would be less but the breakwaters will be longer and would have to be built in deepwater. The choice between a lagoon type harbour and offshore harbour would depend, besides others, on the optimisation of the costs for dredging vis-à-vis breakwater construction, availability of land onshore to create the lagoon. In case of Vizhinjam, it is to be noted that there is no land available along the shoreline due to presence of high laterite cliffs near the coast and the deepwater is close to the shoreline. Based on the existing site conditions at Vizhinjam (viz., lack of backup land behind the coastline) and other planning parameters, second option is found to be the only alternative available for development of Vizhinjam Port. For the selected option, following different port layouts are proposed. 2 Project Development Plan Page 2-11

28 Alternative 1: Harbour with South-East Opening Figures FD0201 and FD0202 show the conceptual layout plan of Alternative 1 for short term and long term, respectively. In this alternative, the harbour facilities are proposed for development by constructing a long north breakwater, which is starting from the shore and extending upto 22 m contour for a length of about 3,300 m in the short-term and will be further extended by about 1,350 m in the long-term. This breakwater will protect waves from the west, south-west and south direction. A south breakwater will be constructed starting from the shore and extending upto 15 m contour for a length of about 450 m. This breakwater will protect waves from east and south-east. An entrance channel is provided from the SE of the harbour. This straight channel starts at 20.4 m contour extending upto the turning circle almost parallel to the shoreline for a length of about 4 km. A turning circle of 730 m diameter is provided for the long term development. This alignment is giving a stopping distance of more than 2,000 m, which is adequate for safe manoeuvring. Main advantage of this alternative is that the movement of the fishing boats to Vizhinjam Fishery Harbour will not be a hindrance to the movement of vessels to the proposed commercial port. Any further expansion of the port can be towards south only Alternative 2: Harbour with Symmetrical South and North Breakwaters Figure FD0203 shows the conceptual layout plan of Alternative 2 for short-term development. In this alternative, two symmetrical breakwaters one on the west and other on the east i.e. Danish Hanstholm-model is attempted by providing breakwater arms at 140 o included angle. This will help smooth passage of sediment at the harbour entrance. The Channel is extended towards south upto 19.6 m contour. With this arrangement, northern breakwater will have a length of 2,420 m and southern breakwater will have a length of 2,100 m. Main disadvantage of this alternative is that the alignment of harbour mouth is towards the south-west direction, which is the predominant wave direction. This will affect the tranquillity condition inside the harbour. There is a requirement of more length of breakwater even in the initial stage to maintain the tranquillity condition. This leads to higher cost of facilities. Another problem with this alternative is that difficulty in providing the required stopping distance and this will affect manoeuvring of the vessels inside the harbour. With all these disadvantages it is not feasible to develop this alternative and so this alternative can be ruled out Alternative 3: Harbour with North-West Opening Figures FD0204 and FD0205 show the conceptual layout plan of Alternative 3 for short term and long term respectively. In this alternative the harbour facilities are formed by constructing a long south breakwater, which is starting from the shore and extending upto 23 m contour for a length of about 3,700 m in the short-term and will be extended further for about 500 m in the long-term. This breakwater will protect waves from the south-west, south and south-east direction for about 7 months of the year. A north breakwater of 1,200 m will be constructed starting from the shore 2 Project Development Plan Page 2-12

29 and extending upto 19 m contour. This breakwater will protect waves from north-west. A finger pier will be constructed extending from the north breakwater parallel to the shoreline for a length of about 650 m. Long berthing face of about 2,250 m is proposed to be provided at 13 m contour. This along with finger pier provided at the northern breakwater will give required storage area and berthing space for the long term. In this layout, channel starts at 19.6 m contour extending up to the turning circle for a length of about 3 km. A turning circle of 730 m diameter is provided for the long-term development. This alignment is giving a stopping distance of 1,825 m, which is required for safe manoeuvring. Essential requirement of the layout is the provision of tranquillity condition inside the harbour. All other planning parameters being satisfied for both Alternatives 1 and 3, it is essential to check the tranquillity condition inside the harbour for short-term and long-term development. The mathematical modelling will clearly indicate which plan / layout gives the best wave tranquillity in the basin, entrance channel and turning circle, etc. It will also help in assessing possible siltation problems, which will probably be almost non-existent. The hydrodynamic modelling will provide useful information for optimisation of the layouts, e.g. for determination of the necessary width of the entrance channel depending on the wave disturbance in the areas. Hence, Alternatives 1 and 3 are short-listed for further studies Model Studies Preliminary model studies are carried out for the two alternatives. Model studies showed that the wave heights in the harbour basin and berths for Alternatives 1 and 3 for the short-term development are within the permissible limits. Alternative 1 requires a 3,400 m long north breakwater at 22 m water depth for protection and Alternative 3 requires about 3,600 m of breakwater at 25 m water depth with a 250 m spur for full protection. Also, Alternative 3 will have interruption from the movement of fishing boats to the fishing harbour. So by considering wave tranquillity cost and operation of the vessels, Alternative 1 is selected as most promising alternative and is further developed Master Plan Detailed Master Plan layout is prepared for Vizhinjam Port and shown in Figure FD0206. Master Plan layout is prepared for the moderate scenario of Option 1 of traffic forecast by considering all planning parameters Berthing Requirement Cargo-wise berthing requirements, vessel sizes and dredged depths considered in the master plan are summarised in Table 2-8 below: Table 2-8: Berthing Requirement S. No. Type of Berth Number of berths 1 Container Mainline Berth length Ship Size (TEU/DWT) Dredged Depth (m) , Container - Feeder , General Cargo , Project Development Plan Page 2-13

30 2.5.6 Breakwaters Two breakwaters have been proposed, one on south side and the other on north side, to provide tranquillity in the harbour area for safe cargo handling operations as follows: North Breakwater : 4,650m long, extending from shore to 22 m depth contour South Breakwater : 450 m long, extending from shore to 15 m depth contour Approach Channel and Turning Circle Dimensions of the approach channel and turning circle required for the design vessel has been worked out and the details are presented below. Approach Channel Length : 4,000 m Width : 420 m Dredged Depth : 20.4 m (Outer channel) Turing Circle Diameter : 730 m Dredged Depth : 19.6 m 19.6 m (Inner Channel) Surveys conducted at the project location showed that there are some rock patches in the area. Selected port layout is superimposed on the rock / hard laterite contour to understand the dredgeability of the material. This shows that the hard rock / laterite strata are present about 3-4 m below the depth contour. Analysis is carried out to fix location of the berthing face, which will give required storage area with minimum cost of breakwater and dredging (rock dredging). Any rock dredging in the long term can be avoided by providing berthing face at 15 m contour but by increase in breakwater cost. Placing berthing face behind 13 m contour result in heavy rock dredging and reduction in storage area. Analysis shows that berthing face at 13 m contour will give required storage area at the same time this will avoid any rock dredging during short term and medium term. There will be small rock dredging in the long term. Berthing face at 13 m contour is found as optimal solution, where small rock dredging in the final phase instead of increasing breakwater cost from short term. In the Master Plan layout, the north breakwater is extending upto 22 m contour and dredged depth of channel provided are as follows: Inner approach channel : 19.6 m Outer approach channel : 20.4 m. The total length of approach channel is 4 km and is almost parallel to the shoreline. A harbour arm is provided at the northern end of the harbour to accommodate feeder vessels. This arm will have a width of 200 m and will accommodate four feeder vessels. Layout for short-term development is shown in Figure FD Project Development Plan Page 2-14

31 2.5.8 Landuse Plan The land use plan has been prepared after identifying the requirement of land for various port related activities of the proposed Vizhinjam Port. While preparing the land use plan, the extent and limits of surrounding developments, development needs of infrastructure facility, easy land access to port site, cargo handling facilities, hazards and environment and safety requirements, etc. have been given due consideration. Landuse plan has been prepared assuming that there is no land available at the port location as immediate back up. Berth line is formed about 400 m to 600 m away from the shoreline and the area between the shoreline and berth is reclaimed. This reclaimed area will be around 140 ha. A pier on the north breakwater will also be reclaimed which will give a storage area of about 22 ha. Hence, the total backup area available for port use is 162 ha. Detailed land use plan has been prepared for the Vizhinjam Port backup area and shown in Figure FD Immediate / Short-Term Development Various elements of the short-term development plan are detailed in the following paragraphs Berthing Facilities Berths are required for handling various types of cargo. Dimensions of the berths are planned as per the vessel sizes and cargo handling equipment requirements. Consultant has studied various berthing structure such as sheet pile wall, piled structure, block wall construction, etc. Model studies showed that the vertical wall structures are causing some harbour resonance especially in the master plan layout. So it is proposed to provide piled berth structure with stone-pitched slope beach underneath to avoid any wave reflection. It is proposed to provide a block wall construction behind the berth to protect reclaimed soil. Cost effective designs have been given due importance at all stages of the project development. Details of berths required for short term / immediate developments are presented in Table 2-9 below. Table 2-9: Berthing Facilities for Immediate / Short-Term Development S. No. Type of Berth Ship Size (DWT) No. of Berths Berth Length (m) Dredged Depth (m) 1 Container Main line 8,000 TEU Container Feeder 1,000 TEU General Cargo * 20,000 t 4 Port Craft (Tugboats) 40t / 20t (bollard pull) * General cargo will be handled at feeder berth 2 Project Development Plan Page 2-15

32 In the short-term, it is planned to provide all mainline berths parallel to the shoreline on the main berthing line and feeder berths and general cargo berth are proposed to be provided on the dock arm and on the pier formed along north breakwater. Mainline berths are proposed to be dredged upto 16 m depth. Major portion of the feeder berth and general cargo berths are on 10 m or more water depth and hence, dredging requirement for feeder berths is very minimal. Berthing Structure Two types of berthing structures are possible viz., quay wall type berths, constructed of either concrete block work or sheet pile and open piled berths. Simulation studies showed development of harbour resonance / standing waves, if berths are provided with a vertical wall structure. Therefore, any structure with a vertical face such as sheet pile or block work in front of the berth is not recommended. This leads to the selection of the open type of structure, namely piled structure. Present selected structure consists of piled construction with pile sockets into the rock. The width of the structure is proposed to be 40 m, considering the quay crane rail spacing of m. The storage yard on reclaimed fill is contiguous on the rear of the berth. In order to retain the fill required for the storage area, there is a need for a retaining wall at the rear side of the piled structure. Recent sea bottom survey results indicate presence of rock / hard laterite 3-4 m below the seabed. Under such circumstances, a sheet pile type retaining wall is not possible. Therefore, it is proposed to provide a block wall construction behind the berth, which will retain this reclaimed soil. Stone pitching will protect slope below the berth, which will be on a 1:2 slope. Open space / storage yard will be paved with concrete blocks, flexible bituminous or rigid concrete pavements as follows: All container storage yard Pre-cast concrete interlocking block pavement Access road and gate access Asphalt paving Access around buildings and truck parking Concrete pavement. Detailed figures have been prepared for various types of berths as mentioned below: Figure FD0209 Typical Arrangement of Main-line Berth Figure FD0210 Typical Arrangement of Feeder Berth Figure FD0211 Typical Arrangement of General Cargo Berth Container Quay The berths are arranged as a continuous linear quay with crane rails running all along the quay length and over the years can be extended to several thousand metres in length. The power supply to the cranes is normally arranged with a cable duct along the quay front where the cranes can connect their cables. The crane has a long cable on a cable drum, which automatically winds up or unwinds the cable when the crane moves along the quay. The continuous crane rails are essential in order to optimise the use of all cranes, concentrating them on a ship or at a quay section, which needs a speedy loading / unloading effort. The area between the legs of the crane is used for longitudinal traffic (tractor-trailer movement) along the quay. Behind the rear legs, normally the hatch covers from the ships are stored during the stay in port. This area, directly reachable by the crane, is also used for emergency stacking of containers, if the unloading from ship is quicker than the transfer from 2 Project Development Plan Page 2-16

33 quayside to stacking area. It can also be used if it is necessary to temporarily discharge some containers in order to reach some containers below, which has not been conveniently placed during the loading of the vessel. The width of the quay apron, where no long-term stacking of goods, etc. may take place, should be around 60 m wide, and the rail gauge of the cranes is often around 30 m. Behind the berths, ideally the stacking areas are located, extending up to 300 or 400 m inland General Cargo Berth In the short-term development one general cargo berth will be constructed for container feeder vessels. Later, this berth will be allocated for the feeder vessels. A 40 m wide piled structure, same as container quay, will be proposed for this berth. In the long-term development, dedicated general cargo berth of 20 m wide will be constructed. Ship-mounted cranes are proposed to be used for the unloading of the general cargo. The cargo that is unloaded in the general cargo may be shifted to the transit sheds or warehouses near the berth Breakwaters The layout of the proposed port to be developed at Vizhinjam consists of two breakwaters. North breakwater would be 3,300 m long in Phase I, which will be increased by 1,350 m further in the final phase. A south breakwater is provided in the medium-term, extending from shore to 15 m contour, basically to protect harbour from diffracted SE waves. Another south breakwater will be required in the short-term at the location. This breakwater will act as a protection against waves from SE as well as a barrier for reclamation. Portion of this breakwater extending to the harbour, about 250 m, will re removed in the medium-term to make the quay line continuous, which is necessary for the easy movement of cranes between berths for flexibility of operation. North breakwater is connected to the shoreline about 150 m away from the fishing harbour extending upto 22 m contour in the short-term. This 3.3 km long north breakwater would be adequate for providing tranquil conditions in the channel, berth and turning circle and to provide adequate stopping distance. Location and alignment of south and north breakwater is principally based on the following five criteria: Storage area requirement To avoid rock dredging Stopping distance for safe passage of design vessels Tranquillity conditions throughout the year in the port basin Scope for future expansion of the port facilities. The slowing down and stopping length required within the port boundaries is determined by the entrance speed of large ships, the time required to tie up the tugboats and to manoeuvring vessels into position. Based on mathematical model studies carried out as part of port planning, the location and alignment) of breakwater is designed to avoid disturbance in port basin. 2 Project Development Plan Page 2-17

34 The preliminary cross-sections of the breakwaters at various water depths are presented in Figure FD0212. In shallower waters ( 15 m) the crest level would be +7 m above CD and in deeper waters ( 23 m) it is increased to +8 m above CD. This would reduce overtopping by waves during the monsoon and moderate cyclonic disturbances like depressions. The primary layer in shallow waters shall be a single layer Accropod units of volume 6.3 m 3, while in deeper waters a single layer of 9 m 3 Accropods have to be provided on a slope of 1:1.5. The rear side armour in both cases shall be rock armour of size 2-7 tons. There are a number of approved quarries in and around the project site, which may be tested for their suitability and used for construction of breakwater Equipment Equipment required for the short-term development is summarised in Table 2-10 below. Table 2-10: Summary of Cargo Handling Equipment S. No 1. Containers Cargo Equipment Type Rated Capacity Berth Equipment Nos. Short term ( ) Quay Cranes Super Post Panamax type 50 t 6 Panamax type 40 t 6 Stackyard Equipment RTGs t 30 Toplift Trucks 20 t 10 Reach Stackers 50 t 3 Prime Movers - 62 Trailers 50 t Storage Facilities Storage requirements for short-term development are summarised in Table 2-11 and Table 2-12 below. Table 2-11: Storage Area Requirements for Container Cargo Description Short Term ( ) Container Parking Yard Traffic ( 000TEU) 620 Area (ha) 15 2 Project Development Plan Page 2-18

35 Description Short Term ( ) Container Freight station Traffic ( 000TEU) 35 Area (ha) 2.1 Table 2-12: Storage Requirement for General Cargo Items Short Term ( ) Throughput ( 000 t) 624 Storage Demand Open 6,000 (sq. m.) Covered 6, Dredging The navigational channel, harbour basin and berths will have varying dredged depths depending upon the vessels to be serviced in different areas Berths For handling of mainline container vessel of 8,000 TEU vessels, a design depth of 16 m CD is proposed at the berths. Berths are provided at 13 m contours and hence, a dredging of 3 m is required at the berth location. Feeder berths are located between 9 to 13 m contour. So, partial dredging will be required at feeder berths. General cargo berth is located at 14 m contour and hence, dredging will not be required at this berth Turning Circle The water area in the basin in front of the berths will have a 650 m diameter turning circle with a design dredged depth of 16.7 m CD. Turning circle is provided between 15 m and 20 m contours. So, only partial dredging is required for turning circle Approach Channel The north breakwater is terminated at 22 m contour and proposed alignment of the approach channel lies between 17 and 20 m contours. Design depth required for the channel is 16.7 m. So, there is no dredging envisaged in the approach channel. Length of approach channel provided is about 1,300 m with a width of 325 m. This theoretical approach channel ends at breakwater tip and there is no necessity of an outer approach channel. This saves time in moving a vessel through a long approach channel Navigational Aids The proposed short-term port development involves creating a turning circle besides adequate harbour basin and breakwaters. Though there is no approach channel required, these areas must be delineated by appropriate navigational aids. Also, it will be quite useful to establish a well-marked navigation line by installing two navigation marks / leading light 2 Project Development Plan Page 2-19

36 towers, one in the front near the high water line and the other at the rear. These marks will distinctly demarcate the channel. The height and spacing in-between the towers must be designed suitably with adequate day marks and night leading lights, fulfilling the navigational needs of vessels approaching the port facility. A brief description of the proposed navigational aids is presented summarised below: Channel Marking Buoys 2 No.s Star board size (1 no.): Conical buoy Painted green Light flash green every 5 seconds Visibility 3 nautical miles Port-hand side buoys (1 No.): Rectangular / square buoy Painted red Light flash red every 5 seconds Visibility 3 nautical miles. Turning Circle Lighting Buoys 2 No.s Spherical buoy Painted orange 2 light flash every 10 seconds. Rear Leading Light Tower 1 No.: Steel / concrete tower About 18 m height (to design) Painted Black and white horizontal bands Quick flash light white Visibility 12 to 15 nautical miles Front Leading Light Tower 1 No.: Steel / concrete tower About 10 m height (to design) Red / white horizontal bands Long flashing white every 5 seconds. Signal Station A terminal control building will be built near the shoreline. This will also serve as shorebased signal station to regulate the movement of vessels by qualified marine staff. Ship to Shore Communication In the beginning, 2-VHF sets of 25 km range and 8-walkie-talkie sets of 10 km range will be adequate. Radar also may be provided. 2 Project Development Plan Page 2-20

37 Light House It may not be required to construct an exclusive lighthouse for the proposed facility. The existing lighthouse at Fishery Harbour appears adequate for guiding the ships calling at Vizhinjam Port Port Craft Tugs To handle the proposed vessel sizes in the short-term development, it will be necessary to have two tugs of about 40 t to 60 t bollard pull, with fire-fighting arrangements, to act as a fire float in case of any emergency. Also, the tug shall have the pollution control equipment on board. Launches It is proposed to provide the following launches in the short-term development: Pilot Launch - 1 no. (25 knots) Survey Launch - 1 no. (10 Knots) Bilge Barge - 1 no Hinterland Connections Existing Road and Rail Connectivity A map showing the major roads and the rail network in Thiruvananthapuram district is presented as Figure FD0213. The major road / rail networks in the project region are the National Highway (NH) 47 connecting Salem to Kanyakumari and the Southern Railway (SR) Broad Gauge (BG) line connecting Thiruvananthapuram to Nagercoil. These are located about 8-10 km north-east of the proposed port site. The nearest settlements through which the above networks are traversing are Neyyattinkara and Balaramapuram. NH47 connecting Salem to Kanyakumari passes through Coimbatore in Tamil Nadu and Palakkad, Thrissur, Kochi, Kollam, Alappuzha, Thiruvananthapuram in Kerala and Nagercoil again in Tamil Nadu. Further, it is connected to Chennai and rest of the country through NH17, NH46 and NH45. As a part of the Prime Minister s National Highways Development Programme, some stretches between Salem and Kochi are identified for strengthening and widening to four / six lane standards. The BG line of SR connecting Thiruvananthapuram Nagercoil Kanyakumari is the major rail network in the project region. The railway line runs north-south and connects to Mumbai through Konkan Railway. The rail line connects southern parts of Tamil Nadu through Nagercoil and Madurai as well as to the north-west region of Tamil Nadu through Palakkad and Coimbatore. Indian Railways have a Division in Thiruvananthapuram and a Goods Yard is located at Veli, which is on the northern part of Thiruvananthapuram. At present, the rail line is a single track between Thiruvananthapuram and Kanyakumari. Beyond Thiruvananthapuram, towards north, the rail is in double line up to Kayamkulam and further north upto Cochin the doubling of track work is in progress. After Cochin, the trunk route to 2 Project Development Plan Page 2-21

38 Chennai is of double line track. Thiruvananthapuram is in progress. Electrification of rail track between Cochin and To bypass Thiruvananthapuram, Neyyattinkara, Balaramapuram, Parassala and other small settlements, National Highways Division proposed a Bypass to the west of the existing NH47 between Kazhakottam and Parassala with a length of km. The total Bypass is divided into two phases. Phase I is from Kazhakottom to Kovalam of km and is already completed. Phase II section connecting Kovalam to Parassala of km, with a Right-of- Way (RoW) of 46 m, is further sub-divided into three segments. The PWD, NH Division marked the alignment on the ground and completed the land acquisition between Kovalam and Mukkola of 3.27 km. The second stretch of 8.74 km extending upto Kanjiramkulam has also been demarcated with pillars and funds for land acquisition were allotted. The stretch from Kanjirakulam to Parasala has been identified. The alignment of the Bypass is also shown in Figure FD Proposed Road and Rail Connectivity to Port The proposed port is mainly intended as a Container Transhipment Hub where the movement of cargo to the hinterland is limited. It is estimated that about 2.5 million tonnes of cargo will be distributed to the hinterland by road / rail corridor during the initial phases of development. The land abutting the proposed Vizhinjam Port location is of relatively high elevation above Mean Sea Level compared to the eastern part. Due to high cliffs, the existing roads leading to the vicinity of the proposed port have steep gradients. These roads are having poor geometrics, which are below the acceptable limits. Any new alignment directly to the east of the proposed port is ruled out as it will also have steep gradients and sharp curves much below the acceptable standards for the port connection. Based on the above considerations, the following options were identified for developing the hinterland connections to the port: Option 1: Access from the North Breakwaters Immediate and Short-Term Development Option 2: Access from the South Breakwaters Long-Term. Option 1: Access from the North Breakwaters Immediate and Short-Term Development A map showing the alignment for road access during the immediate and short-term development is presented as Figure FD0214. Keeping in view the terrain and activities at Vizhinjam Fishery Harbour, an elevated corridor is proposed from the north breakwater of proposed port to NH47 Bypass meeting point, north-east of Mukkola Junction. The alignment between the north breakwater and Mukkola road near Kottapuram is a greenfield stretch and thereafter, the alignment runs along the Vizhinjam Mukkola Road and meets the NH47 Bypass meeting point, 100 m north-east of Mukkola Junction. The road stretch between Vizhinjam to Mukkola is steep and meandering. It will be difficult for the multi-axle vehicles to negotiate the gradient with heavy loads. Geometric improvements are needed for this stretch of the road. At present, a small Bypass connecting Vizhinjam Junction and Petrol Pump is under development. Once the Bypass is completed, the vehicles plying towards Mukkola and Poovar will avoid some of the steep stretches in the road. 2 Project Development Plan Page 2-22

39 The existing road connecting Mukkola to Balaramapuram is generally flat compared to the road connecting Vizhinjam to Mukkola. Geometric improvements are needed for this stretch of the road. Due to the difficulty in the terrain in the north and insignificant inland cargo movement, railway link is not considered in this option. At Mukkola, the existing road meets the proposed NH Bypass and further joins the NH47 at Balaramapuram. Further, this corridor can be extended to NH47 via Balarampuram by strengthening and widening of the Mukkola and Balarampuram section of about 7 km. Until the NH47 Bypass is completed, vehicles will ply along the Mukkola Balarampuram Road. For the movement of goods through railway, a separate railway transit yard will be constructed near Balaramapuram Railway Station. Cargo from the port will be brought to this yard through the proposed road connection. A 10.5 m wide RoW is considered for the road from port to the Bypass point. Option 2: Access from the South Breakwaters Long-Term A map showing the alignment for road and rail access during the long-term development is presented as Figure FD0215. The corridor takes off from the south breakwater, crosses the Karichal River, runs south-east of Kanjirakulam, crosses NH47 north-west of Neyyattinkara and ends at Neyyattinkara Railway Station. It is a combined corridor comprising of road and rail having a length of about 6 km till NH47 Bypass meeting point, south of Kanjirakulam Junction. From NH47 Bypass, it is a single corridor, only rail link, upto Neyyattinkara. The initial stretch of 2 km traverses along the Goathan Road, east of Adamalathurai Road, on a flat ground. Just before the Karichal river, the corridor takes a turn towards north-east, crosses the small backwaters / Kayal (of Karichal River), east of Adamalathurai, crosses the Poovar Admalathurai Road and Karichal River in skew. After crossing the Karichal River, the corridor crosses the Mukkola Poovar Road and traverses west of Kochupally and Marathukonam villages. The corridor crosses the Pulivilla Kanjirakulam Road north of Chavadi intersection. Near the intersection Point, Kanjirakulam Panchayat office is located. After crossing the Pulivilla road, it crosses the Kanjirakulam Poovar Road, near south of the Municipal Ground, traverses further and meets the NH47 Bypass point near Nellakurichi village, 2 km south of Kanjirakulam Junction. The corridor from Mukkola Poovar Road crossing to NH47 Bypass meeting point is undulating in nature. After reaching the NH Bypass, the vehicles can follow the Bypass alignment and would reach Parasala in the south and Kazhakuttam in the north to join NH 47. Hence, from this point till Neyyattinkara, only rail link is envisaged. The rail link is planned west of the Pazhayakada Neyyattinkara Road. At the Bypass point, the rail line will be grade separated. It further runs towards east, parallel to Pazhayakada Neyyattinkara Road. The terrain along the rail corridor is undulating. Near Olattani, the proposed alignment crosses Olattani Kodungavila Road. The rail corridor crosses the Olattani Kodunguavila Road, north-west of Olattani Junction and runs west of the Olattani Neyyattinkara Road and crosses the NH47, 3 km west of Neyyattinkara, near Municipal Stadium and ends at Neyyattinkara Railway Station. The rail alignment will cross the existing NH between Balaramapuram and Neyyattinkara by grade separation and reach the main railway line before Neyyattinkara Station. 2 Project Development Plan Page 2-23

40 A maximum gradient of 2%, and minimum radius of curvature of 300 m and a 40 m wide RoW is considered for the new road-cum-rail corridor from port to the Bypass point. The RoW for further rail corridor is considered as 15 m for two broad gauge lines. Initially single line rail connectivity will be provided, which will be doubled as the traffic increases. The typical cross-section of road rail corridor is presented as Figure FD Communication, Operation & Management One of the most critical areas for effective terminal management is a real-time continuous communication link between the various components within the system, which in turn leads to a highly efficient monitoring of container positions within the terminal. Traditional solutions are fraught with problems. Solutions to such problem lie in Electronic Data Interchange (EDI) systems. Main advantage of this system is that the scope for error is dramatically reduced and it allows the access of same information, in real-time, by all interested parties shipping lines, haulage companies, freight forwarders, agents, carriers, terminal operators, etc. Another advantage of connecting to EDI is that through this system the terminal operators and shipping liners will be able to exchange information saving considerable berthing time. Yard planning is the key to efficient terminal operations the purpose of which is to integrate all activities within the terminal area into a continuous one. There are many varieties of software systems for terminal planning. These systems are compatible with GPS real-time tracking system. Vizhinjam Port will need to implement a fully computerised operation and management system in order to become state-of-the-art container terminal. This will cover all the important functions of the terminal such as: Container discharge and loading planning Container tracking Yard inventory Equipment deployment optimisation Passing of information to customers Accounting and Invoicing Maintenance monitoring. Port offices / operational areas will be provided with modern telecommunication system consisting of telephone, telefax, , etc. EDI will be available for online data exchange with ships and shipping agents Container Security Operations The health of the world economy today depends on an efficient and reliable global freight transportation system. Recent events (US led war against terrorism and occupation of Iraq and continuing terrorist assaults between Israel and Palestine as well as US warnings against, inter-alia, Syria, Iran, North Korea) have heightened concerns that the international freight system is vulnerable to exploitation or disruption by criminal and terrorist groups. To partially address these concerns, the United States Customs Service announced the Container Security Initiative (CSI) in early US initiative include amongst others Customs Trade Partnership Against Terrorism (CT-PAT) 2 Project Development Plan Page 2-24

41 These US-initiatives were approved and agreed upon by the so-called G8 states, the EU member states and the IMO. Except for the CT-PAT, the ISPS incorporates and supersedes all other port and shipping related (anti-terror) security legislation and measures as soon as it comes into force on 01 July 04. It might be possible for GoK to join the CT-PAT without GoI involvement. However, this is not the case with / for the ISPS Code since it is an IMO convention and, as such, subject to GoI ratification and implementation. It is possible that India will endorse the ISPS. However, it needs to understood whether 'Designated Authorities' includes delegation of GoI's related security duties to Indian coastal states, as it is done e.g. in Germany. GoK will have to verify this with GoI. VPD must fulfil all ISPS-requirements as a pre-requisite (to many others) for entering the market System About 6 years ago, US-based firm Science Application International Corporation (SAIC) developed two Vehicle And Cargo Inspection Systems (VACIS). Both systems use the same technology, gamma instead of x-ray for screening and software to generate images for comparison with manifests and identification of contrabands and aliens Facilities Assuming that GoI does not object to US-approved technology, it is suggested to include gamma-ray container screening equipment. Number of Screening Units One stationary unit is able to screen 150,000 units per annum. One mobile unit is able to do the same number minus time needed to travel from one location to another plus minutes for each mobilisation and de-mobilisation. Considering that private sector development of Vizhinjam Port will not pay (or be attractive / financially rewarding) for an annual throughput below 1.5 Million TEU and assuming that GoI / GoK agree to join CT-PAT and numbers of transhipped containers might over time will already have received ISPS clearance before they reach Vizhinjam Port, it is assumed that planning should allow for: Short-term : 1 mobile plus 1 stationary unit Medium-term : 1 mobile plus 2 stationary units Long-term : 2 mobile plus 3 stationary units Space requirement: length 27 m, width 12 m. Since a 40' container is scanned in 10 seconds but imaging and checking takes 2 to 3 minutes, holding areas / lanes must be provided for on the entry and exit side of the unit for some 20 container carrying vehicles (trailers, lorries, etc.). In addition, space should be allowed on the exit side for visual inspection of containers that produce non-match images. Total area requirements, hence, adds upto about 2,000 sq. m. (including a small 60 sq. m. operations room / building) Pollution Control Facilities The handling of containers does not pose any major pollution problem in the port. It is proposed to provide pollution control facilities as per MARPOL 73 / Project Development Plan Page 2-25

42 Water Supply Water is required at the port for the following activities: Supply to ships Supply to port staff and port users Pollution control and fire fighting purposes Environmental conservation and maintenance of greenery in the port Miscellaneous. The requirement of water for the above mentioned heads is estimated and presented in the Table 2-13 below. Table 2-13: Water Requirements S. No. Activity Water Requirement (m 3 /Day) (Short-Term ) 1. Supply to 3 /shipcall Supply to port staff and users Pollution control and fire fighting purposes Environmental conservation and greenery Miscellaneous 50 TOTAL 430 Water requirement during the construction is expected to be around 100 kilolitres/day Identification of Water Source Kerala is blessed with heavy rainfall of about 2,000 mm to 2,500 mm a year. During the discussions with the Chief Engineer, Kerala Water Authority (KWA) about the water availability to Vizhinjam Port, it was conveyed that Vellayani Lake would have sufficient capacity to supply water to proposed Vizhinjam Port. New water supply pipelines would be laid. At present, KWA is preparing a Project Report for a water supply scheme for Vizhinjam area and agreed to include the water requirement for proposed project in the report. It is proposed to provide water pipelines with metered outlets for connection by flexible hoses to ship s tanks. The pipeline system will be connected to an overhead tank system to supply water to ship at the rate of m 3 /h having a minimum outlet pressure of 175 kn/m Power Supply One of the most important parameter in attracting cargo / vessel traffic is providing better and efficient port facilities. The power required for port activities have been estimated based on the annual demand every year and keeping in view the nearby source for power generation / transmission Requirements The electric power is required for the following port operations: Quay cranes / mechanised cargo handling equipments at the berths 2 Project Development Plan Page 2-26

43 Cargo transfer system from berth to stack yard / plant Backup area equipment Lighting of the port Miscellaneous. Quay-side cranes will be power driven and other yard equipment will be diesel driven. Ships at the berth will use their own generators and will not be connected to land power. The requirement of electric power for the above-mentioned activities is estimated and presented in Table 2-14 below. Table 2-14: Estimated Electrical Demand (in MW) Quay Cranes Items Super Post Panamax Panamax Port lighting Yard Port Lighting - General Reefer connection Total 30 * * (rounded off) Power requirement during the construction stage is expected to be around 5 MW Proposed Source of Power Supply The source for power supply identified is the KSEB sub-station located at 3 km from Vizhinjam Fishery Harbour, towards Kovalam Junction. During the construction of port and subsequently during port operations, power could be drawn from this sub-station. Discussions were held with the Chief Engineer (Distribution), Kerala State Electricity Board (KSEB) to understand the availability of power to proposed Vizhinjam Port. It was understood that a new 110 KV line from Madurai to Thiruvananthapuram would be commissioned by March After commissioning, KSEB will have sufficient power to supply to the proposed Vizhinjam Port. It was also mentioned that the existing sub-station capacity at Vizhinjam was only 66 KV (18 MVA) and that this needs to be upgraded to 110 KV sub-station Buildings Various buildings envisaged in the port complex will be as follows: Administrative buildings including the administrative office and officer s amenities, port operational buildings / offices and the office space for major port users Maintenance buildings comprising a central workshop, functional work stations in different port terminal / operational areas and in the central fire station Substations to provide distribution of power Navigational control centre, plant operational buildings, customs and security buildings, traffic offices, medical centre and amenity buildings / conveniences. 2 Project Development Plan Page 2-27

44 Bunkering Provision of fuel oil and fresh water bunkering will be made at all the berths or alternatively it can be outsourced to other service providers Storm Water Drainage The shore side of the Vizhinjam port is rocky mountains and so a good amount of storm water will flow to the port container terminals. This storm water shall be disposed of, as efficiently as possible, in order to give good operational criteria for all the areas used. It is suggested to install a peripheral garland drainage canal, connected to the harbour basin, all the way along the rocky face behind the harbour areas, to intercept all rainwater running down the rocky face. A properly designed drains on entire container storage area, quay aprons and traffic lanes will be constructed with sloping surfaces towards drainage pits and canals conducting the storm water directly to the harbour basin. Open pits and canals will be provided with heavy duty galvanised steel grating designed to carry the heavy wheel loads of mobile cranes, forklifts, etc. The sloping areas will be designed in such a way that the storm water surge in case of temporary clogging of a drain pipe or canal will only be a fraction of a meter before the water will flow over the surface and directly towards the harbour basin over the quay edge. In order to avoid oil contamination of the storm water led to the harbour basin, the following design features will be applied: Fuel tanks will be surrounded by a spill basin and storm water collected inside the basin will only be led to the storm water drains after inspection and testing for oil content. If it is contaminated, it will be treated accordingly. Fuel loading areas and refuelling bays for equipment will be furnished with fuel spill monitoring pits from where clean storm water can be led to the drains and contaminated water to the treatment plant. RTG and other equipment washing areas will be furnished with drain systems leading storm water to the ordinary storm water canals when no equipment washing takes place and to the oily waste water tank during washing Sewerage and Oily Waste Water Disposal For efficient sewage and oily wastewater disposal, following facilities are proposed: Drainage pits in workshop areas will be connected to an oily wastewater tank. All water with oil content will be collected in the oily wastewater tank and passed through an oil separator. Further, the waste oil will be brought to destruction and the water led to the sewerage treatment system. Ordinary wastewater from toilets, bathrooms, kitchens, etc. will be led to the sewage treatment unit. It is proposed to install own sewage water treatment system. So a small captive plant is included in the project. All the pollution control and bilge water reception facility as per MARPOL 73/78 will be provided in the port. 2 Project Development Plan Page 2-28

45 FIGURES

46 CHAPTER 3 BASELINE ENVIRONMENTAL STATUS

47 3 Baseline Environmental Status 3.1 General This chapter presents the existing baseline environmental conditions in and around the Vizhinjam Port area. The baseline environmental conditions have been presented for a study area of 10 km (Refer Figure FD0101) with the Vizhinjam Port as the centre. It has been assessed through monitoring of marine, terrestrial and socio-economic attributes. M/s Shriram Institute of Industrial Research, Bangalore has carried out the monitoring during the months of April May The baseline environmental data report is enclosed as Appendix A. The socio-economic conditions presented in this chapter reflect the profile of the study area covering population characteristics and infrastructure levels on a macro-level. A sample socio-economic survey was carried out to assess the broad profile within the study area. M/s Loyola College of Social Sciences, Thiruvananthapuram has been entrusted the task of carrying out the socio-economic surveys. The social survey report is enclosed as Appendix B. The baseline environmental and social conditions have been presented for the following aspects: Physical Conditions Marine Environment Terrestrial Environment and Socio-Economic Conditions. 3.2 Regional Setting Vizhinjam is located about 20 km south of Thiruvananthapuram, the capital city of Kerala. The entire coastal stretch in the study area falls under Vizhinjam and Thiruvananthapuram Panchayats. Administratively, the proposed Vizhinjam Port area falls under the jurisdiction of Vizhinjam Panchayat and Neyyattinkara Municipality in Thiruvananthapuram District. The whole of Thiruvananthapuram District is treated as one Revenue Division spread over 2,192 sq. km divided into 4 Taluks viz., Neyyattinkara, Nedumangad, Thiruvananthapuram and Chirayinkil. Thiruvananthapuram, the southern most district of Kerala State is situated between Latitudes and and Longitudes and The southern most extremity, Parasala, is only 56 km away from Kanyakumari, the land s end of India. The district stretches along the shores of the Arabian sea for a distance of 78 km. Thiruvananthapuram is surrounded by Kollam District on the north, Kanyakumari District on the south, Tirunelveli District on the east of Tamil Nadu and Arabian Sea on the west. National Highway (NH) No. 47 and Broad Gauge (BG) Railway Line of Southern Railway, both connecting Thiruvananthapuram with Nagercoil in Tamil Nadu, traverse through the region. Both the road and rail network are located about 7 km away from Vizhinjam. 3 Baseline Environmental Status Page 3-1

48 Kovalam one of the major tourist destinations in India is also located in the vicinity, about 3 km north of Vizhinjam. The coastal stretch in the region extending from Kovalam to Pulinkudi is characterised by lateritic cliffs interspersed with small beach pockets. Karichal River, Neyyar River and Vellayani Kayal are the important surface water bodies observed in the region. Neyyar is located on the southern tip of the study area. The region exhibits dendritic drainage pattern dipping towards the coast. Majority of the region, except for few patches of land, is under plantations of coconut, rubber, etc. interspersed with dense habitations. There is no significant industrialisation noticed in the region expect for Balarampuram area, which is famous for handloom industries. The Fishery Harbour at Vizhinjam is the major centre of commercial activity in the region. Apart from fishing, tourism is another important revenue generating activity in the region with the development of resorts promoting health tourism. The coastal stretch in the study area is devoid of coastal vegetations such as mangroves. 3.3 Physical Conditions Topography The study area forms part of the western coastal plains of Kerala State with altitudes varying from 1 m to 35 m above MSL. The study area can be divided into three physiographic units viz., beaches, coastal cliffs and valleys. Except the beaches, the terrain in the entire study area is undulating with small hillocks and valleys. The coastal stretch in the study area is mainly rocky in the southern reaches between Kovalam and Pulinkudi. The beaches in the study area are plain and devoid of sand dunes Geology and Soils Review of the Geological Map of the area showed that the study area comprises rock formation of Pre-cambrian age represented by granulites and gneisses. These Archean formations are hard and resistant to weathering. The coastal plain between Kovalam in the north and Poovar in the south comprise of white and red sands, shell limestone, loose shelly sands and exposed rocks along the coast, which include Charnockite, Khondalite and Gneisses Landuse / Land cover The landuse / landcover in the study area was mapped by using Remote Sensing applications with visual interpretation techniques. The landuse / land cover features in the study area have been arrived by using IRS 1-D, LISS III and PAN Satellite imageries procured from National Remote Sensing Agency, Hyderabad. The landuse / land cover map prepared on 1:12,500 scale is enclosed as Figure FD0301. The spatial distribution of Level II landuse / land cover in the study area is presented in Table 3-1 below. 3 Baseline Environmental Status Page 3-2

49 Table 3-1: Spatial Distribution and Extent of Level -II Land use / Land Cover Classes in the Study Area S. Land Use / Land Cover Area No. Classification In hectares Percentage % 1. Built-up land Town / Village Industry 2. Agricultural Land Double Crop Plantation 1, , Forest Forest Plantation Waste Land Land with Scrub Barren Rocky / Stony Waste Water Logged Land Coastal Sand Waterbodies River / Stream / Tank / Reservoir Total 11, The land-use wise description of some of the important landforms is presented hereunder Built-up Land Areas of human settlement comprising of residential and commercial structures, community places, utility lines, etc. come under built-up land. In the study area, Vizhinjam, Vellayani, Mukkola, Pulinkudi and Kovalam are the main villages covering an area of about 1759 ha Agricultural Land Most of the study area is covered with plantations covering around 9,331 ha. The area under double crop is very less Forest Plantations The area under forest plantations is around 21 ha and the plantation is mainly Rubber, which might have been grown as part of compensatory social forestry programmes Waste Lands The area under wastelands is around 281 ha out of which most of the area is land with scrubs Water Bodies Vellayani Kayal and Karichal River are two important water bodies in the region and occupy about 405 ha in the study area. 3 Baseline Environmental Status Page 3-3

50 Landuse/ Land Cover Towns / villages Industry Double cropped areas Area under plantations Forest Plantations Lands with scrubs Barren rocks / stony wastes Water logged land Coastal land Water bodies 3.4 Coastal Regulation Zone Coastal Zone Management Plan of Thiruvananthapuram As per the Coastal Regulation Zone (CRZ) Notification, the Coastal States and Union Territories are required to prepare Coastal Zone Management Plans (CZMP) identifying and classifying the coastal areas within their respective territories in accordance with the CRZ guidelines and obtain the approval of the Government of India (GoI). For the State of Kerala, including the Thiruvananthapuram district, Centre for Earth Science Studies (CESS) has prepared the CZMP Coastal Regulation Zoning in the Project Region CESS, Thiruvananthapuram prepared the CZMP of Kerala State in the year Based on the review of the zoning in the project region in the CZMP, the CRZ classification in the project area is inferred as follows: The area earmarked for development of Vizhinjam Port falls partially under the Vizhinjam Beemapalli coastal stretch and partially under Pulinkudi Poozhiyur coastal stretch of the CZMP of Thiruvananthapuram district. The entire stretch between Poozhiyur Pulinkudi, in which the southern end of the port site falls, is classified as CRZ III except for a small area adjoining the laterite cliff zone (0.063 sq. km) which is classified as CRZ I considering it s susceptibility to slumping and it s outstanding natural beauty. The stretch between Vizhinjam Beemapalli, in which the remaining major portion of the port site falls, is a complex coast comprising of rocky areas, laterite cliffs, pocket beaches, barrier beaches and open beaches. The laterite cliffs are observed between Mulloor and south of Vizhinjam Fishery Harbour. The entire stretch between Mulloor and Pachalloor is classified as CRZ III except for laterite cliff area between Mulloor and Vizhinjam, in which the proposed port site falls, is classified as area of outstanding beauty and hence, a 50 m zone was demarcated as CRZ I. 3 Baseline Environmental Status Page 3-4

51 3.5 Sea Area Features A broad summary of the important features is given hereunder Fishing Zones No significant fishing zones are reported in the immediate vicinity of the proposed Vizhinjam Port area Spawning Area Generally, spawning occurs in the areas where interface exists between fresh water and marine water in the form of estuary or a river mouth. The interface of fresh water and seawater provide excellent conditions for spawning. In addition, mud banks are also termed as good areas supporting spawning activity. The report prepared by the Expert Committee for Fisheries Management Studies reported spawning activity in the Vizhinjam region during the months of May to July. It can be noted that there are neither mud banks / mangrove vegetations nor estuarine zones observed in the coastal stretch identified for the development of the Vizhinjam Port. Based on the above, it can be assumed that the spawning activity reported in the Vizhinjam area might not be happening in the proposed Vizhinjam Port area Aquatic Habitats There are no mangrove vegetations observed in the coastal stretch identified for the development of the Vizhinjam Port Near Shore Habitats The near shore habitats in the study area are Kovalam, Vizhinjam (north and south) Panathura, Puthiyarnoor, Pallam, Pulivilla, Adimaluthurai, Chowara, Kollamcode, Parathaiyoor, Poovar, Karumkulam and Kochuthara Sand Dunes / Dune Vegetation The coastal stretch in which Vizhinham Port is being contemplated is devoid of sand dunes and dune vegetation Traditional Boat Navigation Routes Generally, traditional fishermen traverse up to a distance of 5-10 km in the sea, whereas the mechanised trawlers traverse greater distances. No specific map showing the traditional navigational routes for fishing was available. Formal interactions with local fishermen indicate that the mechanised trawlers generally follow depth contours and the traditional fishermen have no specific routes and change the route depending on season, traditional beliefs and hunch. From the review of the fishing practices and methods in the Vizhinjam area, it was noticed that majority of the fishing activity is being carried out from Vizhinjam Fishery Harbour using mechanised trawlers or fibre boats fitted with onboard engine. 3 Baseline Environmental Status Page 3-5

52 3.6 Sea Bed Engineering and Oceanographic Conditions Bathymetry The 10 km stretch was surveyed along shore in parallel lines for bathymetry apart from detailed 12 lines in the Vizhinjam area of 4 km each and cross-line of 2 km each at spacing of 0.5 km. Due to presence of hard rocks with uneven nature at near shore areas, the survey beyond 7 m towards the shore could not be carried out. The bathymetry reveals that the contours are generally parallel to the coast. There are some sudden rises and falls in the seabed due to the presence of hard rock / compact formations and the sea bed slopes are given in Table 3-2 below. Table 3-2: Seabed Slopes in the Project Area Contour Depth w.r.t. CD m m m 1 in 28 to 1 in 50 1 in 70 to 1 in 90 1 in 98 to 1 in in 25 to 1 in in 98 to 1 in in 74 to 1 in in 100 to 1 in in 70 to 1 in Seabed Features Sidescan sonar survey has been carried out for a total of 98.1 line km in the project area with five regional shore parallel lines of 10 km and 12 lines of 4 km each. It reveals that the entire area is mostly covered by sandy sediments of fine to medium size with outcrops of hard / compact formations at places. The sand at places show sand waves less than 1 m high. At many places the sandy sediments were seen to have mega ripples. The most interesting feature brought out by sonar image was the presence of hard rock / compact formations in the area. Rock outcrops are identified at 5 locations in the survey area Currents The current speed and directions were measured at two locations for the total depth at every 1 m interval from surface to the bottom. Details of the current observations are presented in Table 3-3 below. Table 3-3: Observed Current at Project Location S. No Current Meter Position Total Duration Current Speed Depth (m/s) (m) Latitude Longitude From To Min. Max The maximum current observed during deployment was 0.86 m/s. The current direction is noticed as SE and NW i.e. parallel to the coast during different phases of tide and direction of waves. 3 Baseline Environmental Status Page 3-6

53 3.6.4 HTL / LTL Demarcation A field survey was carried out by National Institute of Ocean Technology (NIOT) in May 2003 for demarcation of High Tide Line (HTL) and Low Tide Line (LTL) in the project region. Based on the topographic survey, shoreline profiling has been carried out and the levels are reduced to Chart Datum (CD). The high and low tide levels have been estimated using tidal data of Thiruvananthapuram. The values for HTL and LTL are 1.20 m and 0.10 m, respectively. The HTL and LTL together with the 200 m buffer line from HTL and 500 m buffer line from LTL are presented in Figure FD Grab Sampling To validate the ground truth of sidescan and sub-bottom, grab samples were collected from 20 stations in the area. The collected samples revealed that most of the area consists of fine sand with a mixture of medium sand. The silt and clay percentage rarely exceeded the limit. At two places, grab samples showed higher percentage of clay of 34% and 41%. 3.7 Marine Environment This section presents the existing marine environmental conditions in and around the proposed Vizhinjam Port area. Marine water quality, sediment quality (physico-chemical parameters) and marine biology (planktons and benthos) were monitored for arriving at the marine environmental conditions. The marine environmental monitoring locations have been selected taking into consideration the developmental plans of Vizhinjam Port. Details of marine flora and fauna collected from secondary sources is also presented. The marine environmental quality monitoring locations are presented in Figure FD0303 and the details of the same are presented in the following sub-sections Marine Water Quality Marine water quality was monitored at eight locations in and around the Vizhinjam Port area. The water samples were collected using a Nishkin Sampler and preserved in 2 litre plastic containers. Parameters such as ph, DO, Temperature, Conductivity and Salinity were tested on-board using portable field kits. The details of the sampling locations are presented in Table 3-4. The collected samples were tested as per the Standard Methods prescribed by American Public Health Association (APHA). Heavy metal content in the samples was tested as per American Association of Official Analytical Chemists (AAOAC) methods using an Atomic Absorption Spectrophotometer. The parameters monitored under marine water quality are given in Table Baseline Environmental Status Page 3-7

54 Table 3-4: Marine Water Sampling Locations S. Station Description Latitude Longitude No. Code 1 M 1 Near north breakwater of Vizhinjam Port M 2 Close to the shore, west of Mulloor within the proposed Vizhinjam Port area 3 M 3 South of Mulloor within the proposed Vizhinjam Port area 4 M 4 Near Adimalathurai village, close to the confluence point of Karichal River 5 M 5 South-west of Vizhinjam Port area M 6 South of Station M M 7 South of Station M3, outside the littoral zone 8 M 8 South-west of Admalathurai village Table 3-5: Parameters Monitored for Marine Water Quality S. No Attribute Parameters 1 Physical parameters ph, Salinity, Turbidity, Temperature, Electrical conductivity, Total Dissolved Solids 2 Chemical Dissolved Oxygen (DO), Biological Oxygen Demand (BOD), parameters Chemical Oxygen Demand (COD), Phosphates, Sulphates, Chlorides, Phenols, Nitrates, Nitrites, Calcium, Magnesium, Potassium, Total Kjeldahl Nitrogen & Cyanide 3 Heavy metals Zinc, Copper, Nickel, Cadmium, Chromium, Manganese, Mercury and 4 Bacteriological Parameters Lead Total coliform and Faecal coliform The marine water quality observed in the Vizhinjam area is presented in the following paragraphs Physical Parameters The Vizhinjam coastal waters are alkaline in nature with ph varying from 7.9 to 8.2 and with temperatures varying between 23 C and 28 C. The salinity is ranging between 31.7 ppt and 32.7 ppt and the Turbidity is < 5 NTU at all the sampling locations Chemical Parameters Dissolved Oxygen The DO values recorded at all the sampling locations were found to be varying between 2.8 mg/l and 5.3 mg/l. The samples collected from bottom level showed a low DO level of 2.8 mg/l. BOD and COD The BOD and COD levels reported at all the sampling locations are <1 mg/l and 2-3mg/l, respectively, indicating clean coastal waters. 3 Baseline Environmental Status Page 3-8

55 Nitrates Nitrates are ranging between 3.3 mg/l and 4.2 mg/l. The sample collected near the Karichal River showed high nitrate concentrations among all the samples and the reason could be attributed to possible human intervention into the river waters. Chlorides, Sulphates and Phosphates Chlorides were found to be ranging between 19,331 mg/l and 20,081 mg/l and the Sulphates between 2,685 mg/l and 2,983 mg/l. The Total Phosphates in all the water samples varied between 0.05 mg/l and 0.08 mg/l. Heavy Metals The heavy metal concentrations in all the samples, at all locations, are found to be in trace amounts. Bacteriological Characteristics Total coliform and the faecal coliform count was not reported at any of the sampling locations Marine Biology The nature and quality of biological species in a particular environment is dependent on the various physico-chemical characteristics of water. The quality and quantity of plankton obtained in any water body is an indicator of the physico-chemical quality of the water and the type of the water body. The benthic population also serves as good indicator for marine diversity. The plankton and benthos, together, are used for arriving at the marine biology of the area. The biological quality of marine water in the proposed Vizhinjam Port area was monitored through collection of plankton samples at six locations. The details of plankton sampling locations are presented in Table 3-6. Plankton samples were collected using a plankton net which was towed for 15 minutes at each location. The samples intended for estimation of chlorophyll were preserved in polythene containers and wrapped with black paper for protection from sunlight. Table 3-6: Plankton Sampling Locations S. Sample Description Latitude Longitude No. Code 1 P 1 Near north breakwater of Vizhinjam Port P 2 Close to the shore, west of Mulloor within the proposed Vizhinjam Port area 3 P 3 Near Adimalathurai village, close to the confluence point of Karichal River 4 P 4 South-west of Vizhinjam Port area P 5 South of Station M P 6 South of Station M3, outside the littoral zone Baseline Environmental Status Page 3-9

56 The collected samples were transferred to the laboratory for further analysis. The biological quality of the marine water in the Vizhinjam Port area is summarised in the following paragraphs: Phytoplankton About 42 algal species were recorded from the sampling locations all of which belong to the Class Bacillariophyceae. The phytoplankton content was found to be highest at location P5. Species like Lauderia annulata, Chaetoceros decipens, Streptotheca thiamensis, Bellerochea malleus, Fragilaria oceanica, Thallasionema nitzschiodes and Thallsiothix fraunfeldii were found at all sampling locations. Among these Chaetoceros decipens was found to be highest at all locations. The Shannon Weaver s Diversity Index varied between 1 and Zooplankton About 9 species of zooplanktons and 8 larval forms were recorded from the sampling locations. The zooplanktons were mainly Protozoans, Coelentrates and Crustaceans. Among these, the Crustaceans were found in large numbers at all locations. Crustaceans found were mainly Copepods, Appendicularians, Calanus, etc. Of these the Copepods were found in highest numbers. Among the larval forms, Naupli larvae were found in almost all locations except at location P5. The Shannon Weaver s Diversity Index varied between 0.6 and Chlorophyll Generally the presence and / or the level of Chlorophyll-a is considered to be an indicator of the biomass. The Chlorophyll concentrations at all the sampling locations were similar and were in the range of 2-4 mg/m Marine Flora and Fauna Information on marine flora and fauna of the region was obtained from review of secondary data. The following paragraphs present an account of the marine flora and fauna. Algal Flora The marine algal flora of the Vizhinjam-Kovalam sector composed of 16 species belonging to the orders Chlorophyta, Rhodophyta and Phaeophyta. The dominant species of algae are Ulva fasciata, Sargassum and Gracilaria corticata. Rocky shores are unique and fascinating ecosystems bathed daily by recurring tides. The pattern of zonation of flora and fauna of the rocky shores shows variations corresponding to physio chemical and biological characteristics. The important flora is the marine algae. The faunal elements include Gastropods, Balanus, Amphipoda, Isopoda, Polychaeta, Coelenterata and Echiniderms. Perna virdis, P. indica, Cellana radiata, Acmae sp., Node littorina, Thais sp. Pyrena sp. Chthamalus malayensis, Chiton sp. etc. are the common forms observed in the rocky shores of Kovalam. Chlorophytic algae are confined to the high tide region and Phycophyta and Rhodophyta to the mid and low tide regions. 3 Baseline Environmental Status Page 3-10

57 Husk Retting Zones Retting zones are common towards Panathura region. The major bacterial group associated with this zone is Aerobactor, Pseudomonas, Bacillus, Paracolobactrum, Eicherichia, Micrococus, etc. Fungi include species like Aspergillus, Trichoderma, Penicillium., etc. Yeast flora like Rhodotorula, Saccaromyces, etc is also reported from retting zones. The zooplankton in the backwaters generally consist of protozoa, coelenterata, rotifera, copepoda, copepod nauplii and insect larvae. Fish and other economically important forms are poor in this zone probably due to pollution and anaerobic conditions of the retting zones. Marine Fishery Resources The important fishes are Grey Dog Shark, Hammer Headed Shark, Pale-edged Sting Ray, Giant Herring, White Sardine, Short Bodied sardine, Oil Sardine, White Bait, Indian Anchovy, Dorab Wolf, Giant Sea Pike, Mullet, Glassy Perchlet, Rocky Cod, Yellow Fin Trevally, Russel s Cod, Horse Mackarel, etc. The big jawed two spined jaw fish, Indian Mackerel, Stripped Tuna, Seer fish, Pomfret etc. are also present Sediment Quality Sediment samples were collected at six locations in and around the project site using Peterson Grab Sampler. The details of sediment sampling locations are presented in Table 3-7 Table 3-7: Marine Sediment Sampling Locations S. No. Location Description Latitude Longitude Code 1 S 1 Near north breakwater of Vizhinjam Port 2 S 2 Close to the shore, west of Mulloor within the proposed Vizhinjam Port area 3 S 3 Near Adimalathurai village, close to the confluence point of Karichal River 4 S 4 South-west of Vizhinjam Port area S 5 South of Station M S 6 South of Station M3, outside the littoral zone The sediment samples collected from all the locations were sieved and sub-sampled for physico-chemical and biological analysis. Samples intended for Benthos estimation were preserved with Rose Bengal and formalin solutions whereas the samples for assessing physico-chemical parameters were digested with strong acids and were shifted to laboratory for further analysis Observation on Sediment Quality The parameters monitored for assessing the sediment quality in the proposed Vizhinjam Port is are presented in Table Baseline Environmental Status Page 3-11

58 Table 3-8: Parameters Monitored for Sediment Quality S. No Component 1 Chemical parameters Parameters ph, total sulphates, chloride, organic matter, total phosphates, total nitrogen, oil and grease 2 Heavy metals Zinc, Copper, Nickel, Cadmium, Chromium, Manganese and Lead 3 Benthos Benthic fauna for total counts ( bio-mass and Shannon Weaver Index) A brief summary of the sediment quality is presented below. ph was observed to be similar at all locations indicating alkaline nature. Oil and Grease concentrations were found to be less than 1 mg/kg at all locations. Heavy metals were found only in trace amounts at all sampling locations and Cd concentration was found at negligible level (<0.1 mg/kg) at all locations except at location S2 where the concentration of Cd was found to be 0.3 mg/kg Benthic Communities Overall observation of the data revealed that the major, meio and macrobenthic faunal groups comprising of Protozoans, Nematodes, Diatoms, Gastropods, Lamellibranchs, Bivalves were recorded at all the locations. Among the macro benthos Bivalves were abundant at all locations followed by Gastropods, Lamellibranchs. 3.8 Terrestrial Environment This section presents the terrestrial environmental conditions in the study area. It has been arrived by monitoring meteorology, air, noise, water and land environments. The details of the monitoring are presented in the following sections. Socio-economic conditions in the study area are presented in a separate section Meteorological Conditions General Conditions The project region presents a tropical humid climate with oppressive summer. The monthly variations of the meteorological parameters are tabulated and presented as Table 3-9. The period between March to May is hot with the maximum temperatures shooting upto 33 C. This is followed by South West monsoon from June to September and North East monsoon between October to December. The maximum wind speed is observed in the month of August and the maximum relative humidity in the month of June. Table 3-9: Meteorological Parameters in the Study Area Month Temperature ( o C) Max. Min. Rainfall (mm) Average Humidity (%) January February Mean Wind speed (km/hr) 3 Baseline Environmental Status Page 3-12

59 Month Temperature ( o C) Max. Min. Rainfall (mm) Average Humidity (%) March April May June July August September October November December Total Mean Mean Wind speed (km/hr) The region receives an average annual rainfall of about 1800 mm, which is below the Kerala state average. Most of the rainfall in the region is accounted from South West Monsoon. Rainfall is at peak during the months of June and July. The air is humid throughout the year and the maximum humidity is observed during the monsoon months with humidity upto 85%. Temperature Annual Temperature variation in the Study Area Maximum 20 Minimum Months 9 11 Rainfall (mm) Annual Variation of Rainfall Months Winds are moderate to strong during summer and southwest monsoon periods when compared to the post monsoon period. Variation in Average humidity Annual Variation in Wind Speed Humidity(%) Months Wind Speed (km/hr) Months Meteorological Conditions During Study Period A weather station was installed in the project area near Vizhinjam, to record the meteorological parameters during the study period. The meteorological data was collected for four weeks covering important parameters such as Temperature, Wind Speed, Wind Direction, Relative Humidity and Rainfall. 3 Baseline Environmental Status Page 3-13

60 Temperature The maximum and minimum temperatures observed during the study period are 35 C and 23 C respectively. Humidity and Rainfall The maximum and minimum relative humidity recorded during the study period is 92% and 61% respectively. The number of rainy days reported during the study period is 6 with a rainfall of 36 mm. Wind Speed and Wind Direction The maximum wind speed recorded during the study period is 32.4 km/hr. The windrose diagrams, showing the wind pattern have been prepared by compiling the wind data recorded during the study period and are presented as Figure FD0304. On perusal of the windroses, the predominant winds were observed from N (11.3%) followed by SSE (11%) and SE (9.7%). Calm conditions prevailed for 6.6% of the total time Air Quality Ambient air quality was monitored to assess the current air quality status in and around the proposed Vizhinjam Port and within the study area. A network of six air quality-monitoring locations was set-up and the locations were selected taking into consideration the various activities associated with the development and operation of the port along with the general meteorological conditions of the region. The details of the monitoring locations are presented in Table 3-10 and also shown in Figure FD0305. The parameters monitored under the air quality include Suspended Particulate Matter (SPM), Respirable Particulate Matter (RPM), Sulphur Di-Oxide (SO 2 ), Oxides of Nitrogen (NO x ), Carbon Monoxide (CO) and Hydro Carbons (HC). Table 3-10: Ambient Air Quality Monitoring Locations Location Code Monitoring Location Co- Geo ordinates AAQ 1 Vizhinjam N 08 O 23' 07.4 E 76 O 59' 00.9 AAQ 2 Pulinkudi N 08 O 21' 24.5 E 77 O 00' 41.4 AAQ 3 Muttakad N 08 O 24' 18.6 E 76 O 59' 21.7 AAQ 4 Punnamad N 08 O 25' 55.6 E 77 O 01' 36.9 AAQ 5 Balarampuram N 08 O 25' 08.2 E 77 O 02' 33.5 AAQ 6 Nellimudu N 08 O 22' 45.5 E 77 O 02' 43.1 Distance & bearing w.r.t to Vizhinjam (km) Project Site Landuse Residential area 2.24 Residential area 3.8 Residential area 6.1 Residential area 7.4 Commercial 5.4 Residential area 3 Baseline Environmental Status Page 3-14

61 SPM and RPM have been estimated by gravimetric method. Modified West and Gaeke method (IS-5182, part II, 1969) has been adopted for estimation of SO 2 and Jacobs- Hocheiser method (IS-5182 part IV) for NO x. CO and HC were estimated using GC-FID method. The sampling was carried out for 24 hours twice a week for four weeks at each location using pre-calibrated Respirable Dust Samplers. The samples for SO 2 and NO x were drawn at a flow rate of 0.3 to 0.5 LPM using 35 ml volume of respective absorbing media and 1 mm diameter orifice, standard impingers as per 5182 Part V, SPM and RPM samples were collected at a flow rate, of 1.0 to 1.5 m 3 /minute. CO was collected using charcoal tubes and HC was collected using Mylar bags. The ambient air quality monitoring results are tabulated in Table 3-11 and Table The analytical values tabulated in the respective tables present the minimum, maximum and the mean values compiled from the four weeks data generated during the study period. Table 3-11: Ambient Air Quality Particulate Matter Location SPM (µg/m 3 ) RPM (µg/m 3 ) Code Location Min. Max. Mean Min. Max. Mean AAQ1 Vizhinjam AAQ2 Pulinkudi AAQ3 Muttakad AAQ4 Punnamad AAQ5 Balaramapuram AAQ6 Nellimudu CPCB Limits Table 3-12: Ambient Air Quality - Gaseous Pollutants Location Code Location SO 2 (µg/m 3 ) NO x (µg/m 3 ) CO HC Min. Max. Mean Min. Max. Mean (ppm) AAQ1 Vizhinjam <1 <1 AAQ2 Pulinkudi <1 <1 AAQ3 Muttakad <1 <1 AAQ4 Punnamad <1 <1 AAQ5 Balaramapuram <1 <1 AAQ6 Nellimudu <1 <1 CPCB Limits NS 3 Baseline Environmental Status Page 3-15