The drafting of the tri-party memorandum of understanding between the Inland Waterways Authority of India, the Mormugao Port Trust and the Captain of Ports is likely to be completed by September-end, which will ensure that Goa’s nationalised rivers are controlled by the state government. Currently the process for drafting the tri-party MoU is on. We are writing to them (IWAI), and they are writing to us. The draft is likely to be finalised in another 30 days, Captain of Ports James Braganza said. It is learnt that the state government is negotiating on some clauses with the IWAI so that the state gets more benefits. During the recent monsoon session of the Goa assembly, Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar had claimed that the tri-party MoU will ensure that powers of operational decision of seven rivers would remain with state government. After the dredging of 113-kilometre inland waterways in rivers in the state, inland waterways transport is expected to handle around 22-24 million tonne per annum traffic by 2020 in Goa. The minutes of 10th meeting of the expert appraisal committee, which was held in October 2016, say: The IWAI has proposed to develop stretches of the Mandovi, the Zuari and the Cumberjua canal as national waterways in the state of Goa. The stretches of 41 kilometres, 55 kilometres and 17 kilometres have been selected at the Mandovi, the Zuari and the Cumberjua canal respectively for national waterways. Currently 228 barges ply on Goa waterways, and the highest capacity barge is of 2500 tonne. Inland water transport in Goa is expected to handle around 22-24 MTPA traffic by 2020 which will be facilitated through current barge fleet (capacity 80 million tonne), read the minutes of the meeting. An official of the captain of ports department confirmed to The Navhind Times’ that the abovementioned details, more or less, will be incorporated in the tri-party MoU to be signed between the IWAI, the MPT and the Captain of Ports. The minutes also state that the EAC has recommended grant of terms of reference for preparation of environmental impact assessment and environment management plan. A detailed biodiversity impact assessment report and management plan shall be drawn up through the institute of repute on marine, brackish water and freshwater ecology and biodiversity. The report shall study the impact on the rivers, the estuary and the sea and include the intertidal biotopes, corals and coral communities, mollusks, sea grasses, seaweeds, sub-tidal habitats, fishes, other marine and aquatic micro, macro and mega flora and fauna including benthos, plankton, turtles, birds etc. as also the productivity, it says. The committee has also recommended for a detailed report on the fish catches in the Mandovi, the Zuari and the Cumberjua canal. The panel has also asked to hold a public hearing on the project and include the commitments made by the project proponent in the EIA and EMP report. The committee has also sought status of a court case pending against the project. The draft EIA and EMP report shall be submitted to the Goa State Pollution Control Board for a public hearing. The issues emerged and responses to the issue shall be incorporated in the EIA report, the minutes of the meeting say.