We have to encourage inland water transport more

There are many players other than ports who should work together to implement the green ports concept, says Capt. BVJK Sharma, Joint Managing Director & CEO, JSW Infrastructure, in an interview with Sumantra Das.

Could you share with us your experience on the idea of ‘Green Ports’ in India?
Yes, there are certain initiatives that have taken place, but there are lot needs to be done. For instance, modern ships those are coming to Indian ports should consider giving a discount and charge more to the older ship because they are consuming more diesel or more fuel oil, so that way you can encourage the newer ships to come. Besides, there should be coastal ports and non-coastal ports separately, where like a garland in every 100 km you can have a coastal port. Recently, the government has announced in the Budget that they will encourage this dredging into national waterways is an initiative towards green ports. With this initiative we can move major traffic from major ports to coastal port. That should be a component which could be made compulsory.

According to me, out of the total port evacuation, it should be 30 per cent through inland water, but then there will be many other players who have key role to play. State’s maritime board will have to play a role because all of them have a lot of rivers under their jurisdiction. In order to go green immediate connectivity to a highway or the railway station should be provided and river mouths are also need to be kept open for a certain size of barges. So, there are many other players who should work together to implement the green ports concept.

Which are the areas that you think needs more focus on implementing green concept?
First of all our ports’ material handling systems have to be modern, mechanised and they can be made more environment-friendly. Secondly, there should be some rule when newer ships come to the ports they should switch off their generators and take shore power at a competitive rate. But in India ports have to give shore power in a much higher rate compared to any global ports. Today ports are compared as a hotel industry. The vessels those are coming to Indian shore are paying almost Rs 15 per unit for electricity. As a result, they do not have any choice but to keep ships generator on.

So, I think the government should put the ports at par with any other industries and encourage the port should take power supply through open access scheme with a levy across subsidy. In this way we should encourage less consumption of diesel and more consumption of electricity wherever possible and per unit of electricity consumed you should increase the through put of the cargo so that further the per tonne consumption comes down.Then, coming to the internal transport, where you can encourage ports vehicles which can run on CNG. For that, you may need the government support to have CNG supply base there. Within the port also you have to reserve certain percentage for the green development by plantation of various trees. Ports those are blessed with wind should explore putting some wind pumps, like JNPT is trying to implement. Then when it comes to the interface with the external logistics, this should work along with the chain where they should maximise inland water, rail and the road.

Do you think we are a bit slow in implementing the idea here?
The implementation of anything in India does not happen unless either you incentivise or penalise it. But can the government encourage inland water which is not even six per cent today? The entire cargo which is going through inland water is not even one per cent, so what will they do? I think we have to encourage inland water more, right from the navigability point of view and hard infrastructure transportation. You have the navigable depth, you have the barges but when you land there what about the other support system there? The entire soft and hard infrastructure has to be in place for you to encourage. We should go all the way wherever possible with every metre of the coastline and every metre of the river can be really spun off.

How far promotion of coastal shipping will encourage green ports concept?
Yes, coastal shipping should be encouraged, not to the system of reserving cargoes and all by their choice. In current methodology, when I build a modern port and government tells us to give 40 per cent discount to the coastal cargo will not make business sense. We are not into subsidy game, the government is. So, I think there should be proper system in order to develop coastal shipping without hampering anyone’s business proposition.

Do you think intermodal transportation is must for green ports?
In Europe they have a grant called Marco Polo grant. The grant is for this only and modal shift. So, anybody taking a modal shift, like today as a company your coefficient of road had been 50 per cent which has come down to 40 per cent, you can apply for the grant. So they are continuously moving the people into a better modal where you emit less carbon and then your cost per tonne also comes down. We should initiate such a system to promote green ports.

But why India cannot pursue the same?
Today in India, railways say no rolling stock. You cannot bag an investment scheme and you cannot carry iron ore, coal etc. So, how will this modal shift happen unless government is involved? You should encourage something even in four-lane container, which will not pollute rather it is much better green transport solution. However, railways have come out with aggregate in better policy for connectivity to ports. I think now I foresee that the port connectivity through the new Railways initiatives, but they still have not finalised modal concession agreements and other things for that. So, coming to green port, the enabling infrastructure has to happen. The government has to take a lot of initiatives in keeping the river ports, creating river ports and making them navigable, and enabling the barges.

Are Indian ports squeezed between sustainability and cost on green norms?
Yes, to become a green port, cost factor is there but in long run it will pay back. In short term, it will be costly and also you cannot implement 100 per cent at one go as there is a lot of infrastructure gaps in different clusters. For example, I want to dispatch barges from my Jaigarh Port but where they will go? JNPT does not encourage and the other river mouths are choked. Besides, barges have not been traced for a long time and they are no jetty inside the river. Even after the cargo reaches the jetty the road connectivity to the nearest rail head is not there.

The electricity charge is also at Rs 15-16 per unit where the diesel cost on the ship will be lesser and he will burn diesel. So, there will be a lot of hiccups to initiate green ports but I feel that these green initiatives are must and it does not cost much besides enabling infrastructure and initial capital is required for the people to take the clutch.

Will green port title be able to attract foreign investments?
There was a time the world was in luxury mode. There everybody is busy taking care of their house problems, certain investments there, certain conditions are there. If you want ADB funding, there is an elaborate procedure. So, definitely if you are declared as a green port with proper certification, may be you can claim some carbon credits, you can get some investments from foreign, but within India there is no incentive for green port.

Can you just mention some of the JSW’s initiatives into the green norms?
We have been now working there for the last seven years on the ground where for fishermen we have identified some specific training. We have also taken up some maritime training where people can get jobs. We identified which type of fish they catch, so we provide them new nets. We are educated them about fish finder and given all about fish finder then. We have provided them with GPS and then we have given them some coordinate displays where today you get through satellite where there are the fish holds. We have also made an arrangement with cooperative bank to support them. We have built cold storage and ice factories for them. We have chosen about 50 people from that community, trained them for three year diploma and we have employed them. Then there are about thousands of self-help groups working to enhance the cattle breeding, how to grow vegetables and fruits better, the agriculture scientist help in college fisheries, the scientist help in the other parts and the local water issues, the road connectivity all that taking up apart from the mass employment and a temple, school, recreational facilities, the nutrition, and medical facilities.