Margao: South Western Railway’s (SWR) strong freight run in April-Sept has brought fresh attention to coal handling at Mormugao Port Authority (MPA). State govt says operations are within permissible limits, but it has also admitted it has taken no steps to reduce the volume of coal handled there.SWR loaded 26.1 million tonnes (MT) in the first half of the fiscal, up 5.8% year-on-year. Iron ore ledat 10.17 MT, followed by pig iron and finished steel at 5.95 MT. Coal stood at 5.36 MT, up 11.4%.In Sept alone, SWR loaded a record 4.41 MT, with coal at 0.90 MT, up 20.8%. The data released by SWR gives zone-wide figures and no Goa- or Mormugao-specific breakdown.In reply to a legislative assembly question by Fatorda MLA Vijai Sardesai earlier this year, govt said “no measures and actions have been taken” to reduce coal handled at MPA. It added that the Goa State Pollution Control Board (GSPCB) “has not granted consent for any increase in handling of coal”. The board has, however, imposed seasonal monthly caps on coal/coke handling at berth number 7 and mooring dolphins.It was revealed that GSPCB received three odour complaints on Jan 25, Jan 27 and Feb 8. A Feb 4 inspection found about 38,000 MT of NTPC-bound thermal coal stacked at berth number 7 since Oct 2025. On Feb 17, GSPCB directed operator Adani Mormugao Port Terminal to cap stacks at 6 m and not store coal beyond two to three months.Consented capacity is large. South West Port Ltd (berths 5A and 6A) is permitted 5.5 million tonnes per annum (MTPA) of coal/coke till Dec 2028, and Adani’s berth 7 5.2 MTPA till Jan 2030. Safeguards cited include three continuous air quality monitoring stations and a closed coal shed at South West Port Ltd.
