Fisherfolk Protest Against Development of Port In Vizhinjam
Sumana
Vizhinjam
The Kerala government and Adani Vizhinjam Port Pvt Ltd signed an agreement in August 2015 for the development of the Vizhinjam port in Thiruvananthapuram district of Kerala. Adani Ports and SEZ (APSEZ) hopes to make this the Adani Groups anchor point in South India as well as to develop Indias first Mega Transhipment Container Terminal. The port, which will extend from Gujarat to Kanyakumari, is proposed to be a deepwater, multipurpose seaport, targeting container shipment traffic. The project has faced opposition from environmental activists, local fishermen and the tourism industry. Environmentalists allege that the project was cleared without a proper environment impact study and that many areas around the coastline have been eroded due to the project. In 2016, two environmental activists in Thiruvananthapuram filed a plea at the National Green Tribunal (NGT) against the port. But the NGT refused to cancel the environment clearance, although it later allowed a review plea to be filed. Local fisherfolk allege that their access to the sea has been blocked since the commencement of the project. Going by the experience of fishing communities near other ports, they fear that they will be pushed further away from the sea and will lose access to more of their fishing grounds if the port is completed. In October 2017, local people protested against the delayed compensation. On October 30, 2018, fisherfolk from Vizhinjam joined their counterparts in a countrywide protest to oppose the shipping corridor.
Non-Forest (Other than Grazing Land)
Kerala State Government
Adani Group
Kerala Swantara Matysa Thozhilalli Federation, National Fishworkers Forum, National Alliance of People's Movements