The Goa Coastal Zone Management Authority (GCZMA) has recommended the Mormugao Port Trust (MPT) to carry out baseline study for understanding the effect of the proposed deepening of the navigational channel on the erosion taking place at Khariwada beach. The authority has also asked them to obtain baseline data prior to carrying out monitoring studies of water quality parameters such as total suspended solids (TSS) and turbidity on every 500 metres from the coral reef area at Grand Island up to a distance of 3 km towards northwest and southwards direction. The permission for proposed deepening of approach channel and inner basin for capesize vessels will be purely based on the baseline data and studies on possible impact of dredging activity and dumping of dredged material on coastline and coral reef. We have recommended identifying new dumping sites on southwards direction. We have also instructed the MPT to carry out modeling studies to get an idea of how dredging upto 19.5 mts will impact the Khariwada beach. This study will have to be conducted for a period of at least three months and based on this report, necessary recommendation will be made to the Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change, for its approval, a GCZMA official said. The proposed project has been categorised under EIA Notification, 2006 as category A’ project so the power lies with the MOEF&CC to give environmental clearance to the proposed project activity under the EIA Notification, 2006 and CRZ clearance under the CRZ notification, 2011. The MPT has submitted the EIA study report for capital deepening of navigation channel at Mormugao port for capesize vessels but the report doesn’t mention about the aftereffect of the proposed project at Khariwada beach, which is located within 1 km radius of the port. The fishermen community of Khariwada has raised objection to the proposed project of MPT fearing losing their homes and livelihood due to large scale beach erosion. The EIA report shows MPT will complete the project within six months and hence mitigation measures to be adopted to prevent damage on coral reefs has been shown only for six months when water currents moves north, northwest and the west direction. However, there were no measures shown to be taken to prevent damage to the coral reef if currents flows southwards side due to delay in the project. The authority during its recently held meeting has raised concern over the difficulty to be faced by MPT to complete the project at given estimated time and the impact it would have on the coral reef by the dumping of dredged material during southwards flow of coastal currents in the other half of the year. Hence the authority asked the MPT to identify new dumping site and instructed them to monitor TSS and turbidity regularly over one month period to find out how much of the dredged material that is being dumped at the identified dumping site is affecting the corals at Grand Island.