Greens air their worries over Vizhinjam

The Hindu, October 1, 2015
Thiruvananthapuram,  

Representatives of various environmental groups participating in a Green Assembly organised by the Kerala Sasthra Sahitya Parishad (KSSP) here on Wednesday resolved to close ranks to highlight the economic and environmental impact of the Vizhinjam seaport project and protect on the livelihoods of fishermen.

Narmada Bachao Andolan leader and social activist Medha Patkar called for collective action against the project to be implemented by the Adani group.

In a recorded message at the inaugural function of the event, she said the Kerala government had rolled out the red carpet for the Adani group which had been thrown out of Australia following environmental concerns over a coal mine project.

Delivering the keynote address, poet and environmental activist Sugathakumari accused the Opposition parties in Kerala of turning their backs on the government’s attempts to dilute the paddy field and wetland conservation Act. Observing that the Kerala government had promised to supply the entire requirement of rock for the construction of the Vizhinjam seaport, she said the spurt in quarrying would cause environmental degradation on land while the reclamation work would pose a serious threat to the marine ecology and the livelihood of fishermen.

A resolution adopted by the Green Assembly accused the government of ignoring the economic and environmental impact of the proposed Vizhinjam seaport project while giving the go-ahead for the Adani group. Kerala, the resolution says, was facing a serious environmental crisis. The unbridled growth of quarries, conversion of paddy fields, sand-mining and encroachments posed threats to forests, wetlands, hills and marine resources.

The government, instead of regulating these activities, was formulating policies to facilitate the plunder of natural resources. Urging the government to reverse the provision in the Finance Bill to regularise the conversion of paddy fields before 2008, the meeting stressed the need to notify the data bank on paddy fields.

Accusing the Oommen V. Oommen committee of surrendering to pressure from encroachers to exclude human settlements, farmlands and plantations from the Ecologically Sensitive Areas, it called for a fresh demarcation drive.

M.K. Prasad, environmental activist, presided. CPI leader Binoy Viswam and KSSP general secretary P. Muraleedharan spoke.