Kamal Ghorui
Margao: South Western Railway’s (SWR) robust freight performance in the current fiscal year — with Goa’s iron ore, steel and coal emerging as key contributors — brought renewed attention to the ongoing controversy over coal handling at Mormugao Port Authority (MPA), even as state govt has maintained that operations at the port remain within permissible limits.According to the data provided by SWR, the railway zone recorded an overall gross revenue of Rs 8,550 crore during financial year 2025-26 up to Feb, a growth of 14.3% over the corresponding period last year. Freight revenue was the primary driver, climbing to Rs 4,876 crore, a steep jump of 18.3%.
In terms of freight loading, SWR handled 47.5 million tonnes (MT) of originating freight during the April-Feb period, up sharply from 40.6 MT in the previous year, a growth of 17%. Commodity-wise, iron ore loading reached 19 MT (up 10.7%), steel loading rose to 9.8 MT (up 35.9%), and coal loading improved to 9.3 MT, registering a growth of 16.6% — all commodities with a significant Goa footprint, given MPA’s role as a major handling hub for these goods.Leader of opposition Yuri Alemao accused state govt of contradicting its own position, pointing out that while the Centre’s reply in Parliament cited five locations where coal is handled at MPA, state govt’s reply to the assembly mentioned only three.Chief minister Pramod Sawant, however, maintained that coal is handled at MPA by three companies — Southwest Port Limited, Adani Mormugao Port and Morning Dolphine — all of which possess valid environment clearances (ECs). Alemao, however, said that Jindal exceeded its coal handling quota and received a show cause notice, and demanded that govt act against coal handling west of the breakwater, where operations allegedly lack an EC.
