The high court on Friday issued notices to the central and state governments, department of animal husbandry and fisheries, Central Institute of Coastal Engineering for Fishery, ministry of environment and forests and department of forests, environment and ecology responding to a petition challenging the proposed third stage extension of the Old Mangalore Port in Bunder to non-contiguous port land in Hoige Baazar in Bolar.
The petitioners led by Octavia Albuquerque, representing residents of Hoige Bazaar, had questioned the extension. They said the port land situated at Hoige Bazaar was an ecologically sensitive wet land within the coastal regulation zone, 2011.
They contended that the overcrowded old port at Bunder raised stink and faced fly menace. The port should ideally be extended to Bengre which is locatedopposite Bunder. Bengre sandspit encompasses hundreds of acres of unutilised land. It is primarily inhabited by fishermen, whereas Hoige Bazaar is the oldest residential locality of Mangalore with an undeveloped marshy southern tip. Extension of port to Hoige Bazaar would lead to pollution-related health issues, the petitioners argued.
They contended that the proposal would violate the local residents’ right to life guaranteed under Article 21 of the Constitution.
The extension was also contrary to the spirit of the 1980 amendment to the Karnataka Ports Act, 1961, they said.
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