Complying with all Environmental regulation requirements

Karaikal Port has adhered to the pollution control norms as prescribed by the regulatory authorities. Complying with the recommendations proposed by the PPCC from time to time. Port has all the necessary Pollution Control Equipment for meeting the emission norms as prescribed.

ISO Certified Organization (ISO 9001:2015,14001:2015 , OHSAS 18001:2007 & ISO 50001:2011)

KPPL in its excellence towards Sustainable Development and even to go beyond routine compliance, KPPL has been following and has integrated its ISO: 14001, EMS, ISO: 9001 QMS, ISO 50001 EnMS and OHSAS 18001 management systems. KPPL has committed to promote a culture seeking continual improvement in Environment performance of the organization.

Dust Suppression Sprayers (DSS 150 – Mobile & DSS 200 – Tower mounted)

The State of the Art Dust Suppression Sprayers (Fogging Machines) (called as DS 150 (mobile) and DSS 200) are being extensively used in the Rack & Truck loading area. The water Spray of this machine has range of 150 to 200 mtrs throwing capacity with area coverage of 60,000 Sq.m. DSS 200 of higher capacity on a fixed raised platform has been installed in the North end of the port. It has a spray range of 200 to 250 mtrs. These machines help in the trapping of the fine air borne dust particles and found to be one of the best control mechanisms for the air borne dust.

Treatment Plants

Port has 04 Coal Wash / Effluent Treatment Plants and one Sewage Treatment Plant besides one Dump pond in the Mechanization Area for collection and then treatment in the Effluent Treatment Plant close by. Capacity of the treatment plants is as follows,

Tyre Wash System

Automatic Tyre Wash: An Automatic Tyre Wash system is installed for easy dirt removal from the Heavy Vehicles carrying Coal. The machine helps in removing the contaminants from the underneath of the vehicle. The used water after sediment separation is reused. This is to ensure that contaminants are not carried over.

Sprinklers, water monitors, tanker mounted monitors, Road Wetting

In addition to manual sprinkling, automatic sprinklers are also installed, thus covering the entire coal plots, this completely settles the dust generated from the operations. Water Tankers, (Tankers or Tractors) are used for the dual purpose of keeping the coal in wet condition to maintain the moisture and for the dust suppression. The water tankers are on the rounds as per the need of the particular area operations, condition of wetness of the coal and other requirements. To avoid flying of dust from roads, water tanker lorries fitted with rear water spreaders have been engaged to continuously wet the roads.

Paved Truck Parking Area

About 9000 Sq.m by road truck parking area in outside the main gate is with the capacity of 100 trucks may parked. This area is regularly vacuum cleaned with truck mounted vacuum cleaner.

Coal Heap Management

Height of the coal stock pile is normally maintained as less than 10 mtrs. The piles are made such that there are no steep sides or faces. Good engineering practices are employed to ensure compaction of coal, loading from the leeward side etc. The storage practice adopted is such that air strikes the width and not the length.

Trucks/ Wagons

Coal is transported to customer premises by Road and by Rail. In Road transportation, each and every truck is adequately covered with good quality Tarpaulin and the same is cross-checked at Port’s Main Gate before leaving port premises. In case of Rail, special care is taken to ensure that each wagon is covered and properly tied with Tarpaulin. Coal is also adequately wetted with water before loading on to trucks and rail wagons to prevent dust emission while in motion.

Continuous Ambient Air Quality Monitoring Stations

Three numbers of Continuous Ambient Air Quality Monitoring Station (CAAQMS) are installed in the port, based on predominant wind direction and major operation areas. Ambient air is routinely monitored. Corrective measures are taken suitably as and when required. The real time data is being displayed at the Port Main gate. These are linked to the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) and Puducherry Pollution Control Committee (PPCC) servers in New Delhi and Puducherry respectively who have an access to these on 24*7 basis.

Environment Monitoring (Air, Water, Noise & Marine Sediment, Etc).

In addition to the Automated CAAQM, PM 10 & PM 2.5 are routinely measured using the High Volume Samplers and Respirable Dust Samplers available with the Environment Department. Water, Sea Sediments, Noise and Air Sampling is carried out on routine basis (Monthly) from the various locations by a MoEF recognized EPA laboratory.

Road Cleaning Machine

Sometimes small quantities of coal spillover during intercarting by the tippers does happen. It is ensured that the cleaning of the roads inside the Customs is a routine activity where equipment is deployed twice a shift to ensure clean intercarting roads and minimise any air borne dust during the movement of trucks. The toothless loader is engaged for sweeping road and the material collected is loaded into the tipper and dumped in the Coal yard.

Aakash Ganga

Aakash Ganga Project is one which helps generate pure drinking water from the atmosphere. It attracts the moisture from the atmosphere and after some series of filtration operations produces pure drinking water. These machines (three in number) are placed at remote locations of our drinking water requirements. The total water quantity generated from these machines is to the tune of 75 lits per day.

Environment Awareness

Training, awareness and learning have been always at the heart of KPPL’s journey to become world class in Environmental performance. To meet this objective, KPPL focuses on internal and advanced training programmes, involving subject experts; participation at national conferences and workshops. KPPL celebrates the World Environment Day, Coastal Clean Up day, Earth Day, Water Day, etc and creates Environmental Awareness among employees and surrounding villages and schools on annual basis.

Environmental friendly measures of transportation

Karaikal Port ensures safe transportation of Cargo. Display board has fixed in the Port main gate which contain instructions on Environment friendly measures of coal transportation. Pamphlets both in Tamil and English containing instructions on environment friendly measures are being distributed to the transporters. Awareness on the same is being created to the supervisors/drivers through meeting regularly.

Concrete Roads

To avoid trapping of dust, main access roads to coal plots have been converted from Bitumen based roads to Concrete Roads. These concrete roads are regularly cleaned by the mechanical method.

Road & Railway Cleaning

Routine cleaning of the roads & Railway tracks are ensured by means of Mechanical methods & manual. KPPL procured Vacuum based dust cleaning machine mounted on Truck for the said purpose.

Waste Management

The efforts in this subject waste are to maintain clean and hygienic conditions in the Port and reduce the quantity of solid waste to be disposed off on land. This is achieved by segregation, and processing. Proper Waste bins at required locations for waste collection are made and segregated waste is systematically/ scientifically disposed. Utilization of kitchen waste/ organic waste in Vermi-composting. The kitchen waste generated from the kitchens of KPPL are segregated at the source and are consumed in the Vermi Composting yard. Hazardous & E Wastes are being disposed through authorized recyclers.

Solar Power/ Energy Conservation

The port maintains a set of navigational aids to comply with statutory requirements for vessel traffic. Some of the main aids are channel Marking buoys, leading light towers and breakwater marking towers. All of them have a day and night signal. Day signal is primarily the colours painted on the buoy or the structural arrangement. The night signal is the Lights which flashes with some set of codes. To provide the power supply for the lights, a 100 Ampere Hour sealed batteries are used. The charging facilities of the batteries are taken care by a set of solar panels of 20 watts. The photocell used in the light prevents the light to glow during the day time thus avoiding the wastage of power supply Solar charging of the battery of the Generator Set is practiced. This ensures that the battery required for the starting of the Generator is always sufficiently charged.

As a trial basis some of the street lights & other designated areas are being operated through solar power. On a trial basis Solar Water Heater 300 LPD was installed at Admin location. Around 8 locations Solar Panel (20W) were installed for emergency lighting system.

Adopting RRR technology

The Waste Water from the domestic usage points is treated in the Sewage Treatment Plant of capacity 25 KLD. The treated water from this STP is used for Irrigating the Green Belt after ensuring its suitability. Scrap yard is developed to put all scrap/ wastes at an identified place. This is then effectively checked for re-use within the port. After all options have been closed and material is found not to have any value in the given conditions the same is properly disposed off. Use of sodic soil in nursery, Recycling material such as tea cups, polythene milk covers, Mulching, Seed collection , developing natural grass to avoid soil erosion etc.,

Oil Spill equipments

Coast Guard Approved Oil Spill Contingency Plan is in Place. OSCP is a plan of action prepared in anticipation of an oil spill. A contingency plan usually consists of guidelines developed for a specific industrial facility or an entire region to increase the effectiveness, efficiency, and speed of cleanup operations in the event of an oil spill, and simultaneously protect areas of biological, social, and economic importance. Adequate Oil Spill Response equipments are available in the Port to respond immediately to any spill incident with the objective of protecting marine & human life and to minimize environmental impacts;

Rainwater Harvesting Structures:

KPPL has developed two rain water harvesting ponds inside the Port premises with a holding capacity of approximately 400 KL. A surface water body of approximately 2200 sq mtrs with a capacity of about 5600 m3 has created outside the port premises in the Keezhavanjore village and adopted two more ponds of around 12,000 sq mtrs for maintenance in the neighbourhood.

Rain water Harvesting Pits at 15 locations (Roof water) are made available. Port has made an arrangement of contour bund at two locations to help arrest the run-off of the Rain water and help in the irrigation of the Plantation in the area.

Water Curtain

Karaikal Port has erected and commissioned Water Curtains on the South side of the Port. It is of length 100 mtrs and height 12 mtrs. This will spray fine water particles into the air to capture any air borne particles.