The Vizhinjam International Seaport is the target of a protest by fishermen, and the Thiruvananthapuram Archdiocese of the Catholic Church (Latin rite), which is leading the protest, has decided to hold an environmental impact assessment of the port project along the coastline of the affected areas in Thiruvananthapuram.
A four-person group was earlier established by the State government to investigate whether the port’s construction contributed to any localised coastal erosion.
Despite the Church-led action council’s demands, no local experts have been included to the government panel led by M.D. Kudale, a former Additional Director of the Central Water and Power Research Station (CWPRS), a Pune-based research facility.
The council then declared that a separate study will be conducted to evaluate the port’s effects along the waterfront.
Action council general convener Fr. Eugene Pereira stated in a press release that the public will be given access to the report that would be created by the panel chosen by the Archdiocese. The action council also criticised the Chief Minister’s claim that the State administration had come to an agreement on six of the seven demands put out by the fishermen. Regarding the demands made during the negotiations by the fisherman, no reasonable and practical decisions had been taken. The press release stated that it was incorrect to portray the fishermen as being against development.
In the meantime, art and cultural meetings in support of the strike were organised at the 14 district offices, including in front of the Secretariat. Additionally, the fishermen obstructed a “jhankar” hauling pebbles to the Muthalapozhi port construction site with their fishing boats. Although the High Court had ordered the police to provide protection for the quarrying and transport of stones for Vizhinjam port work, the fishermen had previously also thwarted attempts to deliver rocks to the building site by truck.
