CHENNAI:Chennai Port is developing a green belt on 31 acres inside the port to reduce the carbon footprint besides ensuring ambient air quality parameters to make the port a clean and green one, according to the port Chairman P Raveendran.Raveendran, unveiling his plans to convert the port into a clean and green port, told Express that he plans to implement the Green Belt scheme in a systematic way.
“Saplings will be provided along the roads and cargo stack areas in addition to traffic islands, medians and lawns,” he said.
He also said that IIT-Madras and environmental experts have conducted an Emission Inventory and Source Apportionment study in the vicinity of the port and adjoining areas. “Now a dispersion model is being finalised to ascertain the contribution of cargo handling in Chennai Port to the ambient air quality in the residential neighbourhood,” he said.Raveendran also said an environment monitoring cell manned by a professional environmental expert and trained engineers is being set up for data generation and management.
“We have also commissioned the Continuous On line Ambient Air Quality Monitoring (CAAQM) stations, which were mandated as per the recommendations of Technical Sub-Committee of the Empowered Committee to monitor Ambient Air Quality levels at the port as part of the measure to enable dust-free handling of cargo at the port, last month,” he said.He said the continuous ambient air quality monitoring is focused on key ambient air quality parameters such as particulate matter, oxides of nitrogen, sulphur dioxide and carbon monoxide.
He said three CAAQM stations are located inside the port. These include Marshalling Yard area at the south, Central Berth Area and Gate No 2a. These locations were identified to be sampling locations after discussion with Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board, he said.The data collected at each CAAQM station are fed into the Central Data Server Station at Environment Cell. From the server, the ambient air quality levels at port is streamed live through electronic display boards installed at four locations --- Gate no.10, near administrative office complex, Gate no.5 and Gate no.1.
He said the ambient air quality levels recorded since December 2017 has remained well below the permissible value prescribed as per National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS) as compared to ambient air quality parameters at Chennai Port from December 1, 2017 to January 28, 2018.
Going Green in a systematic way
Chennai Port to have 31 acres of plantation to control dust emanation
A dispersion model is being suggested by IIT- M to ascertain the contribution of cargo handling to ambient air quality in residential neighbourhood
Setting up of environment cell manned by professional environment expert, trained engineers for reliable data generation and management
Installation, commissioning of continuous ambient air quality monitoring stations at key locations inside port