VASCO: General Secretary of National Fishworkers’ Forum (NFF) Olencio Simoes attended the mega public meeting at Kanyakumari District to protest against the new container transhipment terminal and multipurpose port built up by Adani, at Kanyakumari, recently.
In a press note, the NFF stated that under the draconian Sagarmala programme, the Tamil Nadu State has been declared as Coastal Economic Zones, which plans to sell 1076-km of coastline and 918-km of riverline to private company for private profits at the cost of lakhs of Tamil people, who will be displaced from their traditional livelihoods.
Further, the NFF states that Tamil Nadu already has six major ports and due to this, the 247-km of coastline has been washed away. Thus, building another port will further add to the misery.
The Ministry of Shipping has prepared a final report in the Sagarmala Volume II, where Tuticorin, Mannar, Poumpuhar and VCIC South Port have planned to increase hazardous cargo handling to five times the present handling and has planned 11 SEZ within the port jurisdiction. The Chennai, Kamarajan and VO Chidambarnar Port have been give autonomy under the Major Port Authorities Bill 2020 replacing the Major Port Trust Act 1963 which will now act like State within the State as absolute powers will be given only to Board Director of the Port. Consequently the State, Panchayat and Municipalities will have no authority to intervene in the port areas. India being fifth position in the world for worst air quality index, despite this, the government plans to destroy our coastline and river by inviting these disastrous projects by compensating several environmental laws.
Further, the Inland Waterways Authority of India Act, 1985 was amended and nine rivers of Tamil Nadu i.e 918-km are Nationalised under the National Waterways Act 2016 where all land across river banks will be acquired under Compulsory Acquisition Act and will be given to private company. National Fishworkers’ Forum has said the same Chinese or Gujarat formula is planned in other Coastal State including Goa.
The NFF has warned the Central government not to work as CEO of Adani but to work in the interest of crores of coastal and inland fishermen who will be displaced from their traditional livelihoods. Further, the NFF has stated that if the container transhipment terminal and multipurpose port built up by Adani at Kanyakumari is not withdrawn and the plans to build more ports doesn’t stop then we will be forced to shut all major ports in India.
