Kerala Fishermen Continue Battle Against Adani Ports Project

The Government Has Put The Project On Hold In Thiruvananthapuram 

Fisherfolk laid siege to the port from the sea and land on Monday (August 22), escalating the week-long protests against the Adani Group's Vizhinjam International Transhipment Deepwater Multipurpose Seaport project in Kerala's capital Thiruvananthapuram, which is being built for Rs 7,525 crore. The Kerala administration has been debating the seven-point charter of demands put forth by the representatives of protesting fishermen since they have sensed the building tension in the Vizhinjam port area. Even though the government complied with most of the fishermen's demands, no progress was made. The government has put the project on hold.

Reasons of Protest    

On August 16, fishermen protested the Adani Group at the multipurpose seaport's building site in the nearby town of Mulloor under the leadership of Latin Archdiocese priests while waving black flags. On August 16, the Latin Catholic diocese's churches, organisations, and residences all flew black flags in protest. The demonstrators are speaking out against marine erosion and calling for long-term solutions as well as rehabilitation. According to reports, protesters have voiced their concerns about approximately 500 houses and many boats being destroyed on the Veli-Panathura coastal stretch in Thiruvananthapuram ever since the construction work on the project began in December. The demonstrators assert that the unscientific construction of groynes, the man-made sea walls known locally as "pulimutt," is to blame for the district's rising rate of coastal erosion.

Demands of Protesters                                                         

The protesters' top demand is that work be stopped and an appropriate environmental impact analysis be conducted on the Rs 7,525 crore deepwater port and container transhipment terminal being built at Vizhinjam on the outskirts of Thiruvananthapuram. The community has also made six additional demands: (I) rehabilitating families whose homes were lost to sea erosion; (ii) taking effective measures to reduce coastal erosion; (iii) providing financial assistance to fishermen on days when weather warnings are issued; (iv) providing compensation to families of fishermen who lose their lives in accidents; (v) subsidising kerosene; and (vi) creating a system to dredge the fishing harbour of Muthalappozhi in Anchuthengu. All demands have been met by the government, with the exception of ceasing port construction and offering a subsidy for kerosene. It has committed to locating housing for displaced families before Onam (which begins at the end of this month).

Delay in Project

The project was expected to be operational by 2019 according to the original deal. The 2017 Ockhi cyclone and the Covid-19 epidemic were just two of the factors listed by The Adani Group as the cause of the delay. In addition, the business ran out of granite stones while constructing the 3.1 km breakwater, of which only 1 km had been completed. Ahammad Devarkovil, the state minister for ports, stated last year that the project's completion was now anticipated to take place in 2023. Fishermen were also angered by the central government's yearly shoreline examinations, which found that even though the impact of the port's construction was obvious, it did not accelerate coastal erosion. In its Annual Shoreline Monitoring report published in 2019, the National Institute of Ocean Technology, Chennai, noted that erosion hotspots such Valliyathura, Shangumugham, and Punthura have not changed since the port's building project got under way in 2015. The study's 2021 update noted erosion at Pulluvila (500 m), Mullur (290 m), Kochuveli (250 m), Punthura (150 m), Cheriyathura (120 m), Shangumugham (100 m), and Valliyathura (50 m), but concluded that port activity in the Arabian Sea had less of an impact than high wave activity and cyclones.

When Will The Port Complete?

In December 2015, then-Chief Minister Oommen Chandy laid the cornerstone for the port costing Rs 7,525 crore that was being constructed under a Public Private Partnership (PPP) with Adani Ports Private Limited. The port will be able to accommodate massive "megamax" container ships and will have 30 slots. The ultramodern port, which is near to important international shipping lanes, would bolster India's economy, according to the Adani Group. The port is expected to compete with Colombo, Singapore, and Dubai for a portion of the trans-shipment sector. With 80% of the nation's freight trans-shipments travelling through it, the Vizhinjam International Deepwater Multipurpose Seaport project will be one of India's deepest ports once it is finished. According to the agreement, Adani will manage the port for 40 years with a potential extension of 20 years, and after 15 years, the state government will receive a portion of the revenue generated by the port.

The Road Ahead

Adani Ports said it would adhere to the directives of the government and welcomed the proposal for a comprehensive study into the coastal erosion northward of Vizhinjam. The port company has expressed its fear for safety after demonstrators broke down police barricades to enter its property on August 19, even though work has temporarily been stopped at the port site to avoid agitating the strikers. Demands to completely halt development on the huge project won't be taken into consideration, the government has already stated. The state fisheries minister, however, spoke to the demonstrators from New Delhi and promised to set a date and location for the negotiations once he arrived in the state capital. However, not everyone is won over by the politicians' promises. The people's anger is palpable.