Thousands of Kerala fishermen have been protesting against the under-construction Vizhinjam port near the state capital of Thiruvananthapuram for more than a week. The Vizhinjam International Transhipment Deepwater Multipurpose Seaport is being built under the PPP model by Gautam Adani’s Adani Ports and SEZ for Rs 7,525. Once completed, the port will be able to handle the largest cargo ships and will be a major stop on the international shipping route.
Why fisherfolk are protesting?
But that is of little concern to the fisherfolk of southern Kerala, who fear that the massive construction will rob them of their livelihoods and life savings. The protesters claim that the unscientific construction of groynes, or artificial sea walls known as ‘pulimutt’ in local parlance, as part of the upcoming Vizhinjam port is one of the causes of increasing coastal erosion, which has resulted in the loss of hundreds of their homes in recent years.
The demands
Protesters are demanding that the construction of the Vizhinjam port is halted and that an environmental impact study be conducted. On Monday, the fishermen surrounded the Vizhinjam port, both from the sea and on land. The Latin Catholic Church and the opposition Congress, which was the ruling party when the foundation stone for the construction was laid in 2015, have joined the protesters.
Last week, when visiting the protest site, Kerala’s Leader of Opposition (LoP) V D Satheesan told the fishermen that in the past, it was the coastal areas of eastern and south-eastern India that were in danger due to adverse weather conditions, but now it was happening in Kerala. He claimed that this was evident from the fact that the sea had encroached on several square kilometres of coastal land in the state capital, and that a comprehensive and long-term solution was required for the problem.
Protests continue despite talks.
Several talks to end the protest have so far failed. Protesters’ representatives met with ministers Antony Raju and V Abdurahiman on Wednesday and reiterated their demand that construction work is halted. According to Father Eugene Pereira, a representative of the Latin Archdiocese, which supports the protesters, the ministers listened to their concerns but did not take action.
What the Kerala government says
Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan told the Assembly that the government was considering providing rented housing to rehabilitate the displaced fisherfolk, and that the district collector of Thiruvananthapuram has been tasked with the task, which includes negotiating rent. He also claimed that the state government has launched a Rs 2,450 crore project to rehabilitate fishermen who have been displaced due to coastal erosion and the Coastal Regulation Zone (CRZ) rules.
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