The Kerala government has constituted an expert committee to examine whether there has been any coastal erosion consequent to the work done for constructing the port at Vizhinjam. The committee has been constituted to also identify specific measures to address the coastal erosion, if any, observed in the zone of influence of construction. The Fisheries department issued the order for constituting the committee on Thursday, October 6.
MD Kudale, former additional director, Central Water and Power Research Station (CWPRS) will chair the committee. The committee members are Riji John, Vice Chancellor, Kerala University of Fisheries and Ocean Studies, Kochi; Dr Tejal Kanitkar, Associate Professor, School of Nature Sciences and Engineering, National Institute of Advanced Studies, Indian Institute of Science, Bengaluru; and Dr PK Chandramohan, former chief engineer, Kandla Port Trust. The latest protest, backed by the Latin Catholic Church, against the Vizhinjam port construction began in August and is yet to be called off.
The International Deepwater Multipurpose Seaport project by Adani Enterprises Limited is being constructed at Vizhinjam in the capital city of Thiruvananthapuram. Local residents have protested against the project multiple times alleging that the construction for the port caused coastal erosion, which in turn adversely affected the livelihood and lives of the fishermen community.
The order issued by the Fisheries department said that the construction of the port project, which commenced in December 2015, is being undertaken within the applicable procedures and laws prevailing in India and is being continuously monitored. The project was cleared by the Oommen Chandy-led Congress government in 2015.
Vizhinjam International Seaport Limited received environmental clearance (EC) from the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change in January 2014 for the development of a deep water multipurpose port at Vizhinjam, the order said. "The EC order was challenged by various parties and EC was upheld by NGT (National Green Tribunal) with clear directions to the government of Kerala to proceed with the project," the order stated, adding that the shoreline changes and other environmental parameters are being continuously monitored.
It further said that the study results are reviewed by the Expert Committee/Shoreline Monitoring Cell appointed by NGT comprising eminent scientists and coastal experts every six months. "There has been no observation by the said Expert Committee or Shoreline Monitoring Cell so far that the construction of port at Vizhinjam has caused any coastal erosion at the north of the upcoming port at locations such as Valiyathura and Shangumugham. However, certain sections representing the people residing in the coastal region have submitted that the construction of the project has caused coastal erosion around the port," the order noted.