Despite opposition from locals who point to its impact on ecology and livelihood, MoEF gives nod to the big-ticket project for environmental and coastal clearance
The Tadri seaport project in Uttar Kanada has been given a nod by the Ministry of Environment and Forest (MoEF)’s expert panel on infrastructure projects for environmental and coastal clearance.
The Rs 38,000 crore Karnataka State Industrial and Infrastructure Development Corporation (KSIIDC) project will be the state’s biggest port and is proposed to be built on a public-private partnership model (PPP). The project will be situated on the estuary of Aghanashini river.
The port, which will be designed to handle 62.36 metric tonnes of cargo per annum, has got a nod from the expert panel, despite stiff opposition from local communities and environmental experts.
The panel has recommended the project for clearance subject to specific conditions. It has asked KSIIDC to obtain forest clearance as the port will clear 200 hectares of forest area. The loss of forest area will have to be compensated by carrying out mangrove plantation on 200 hectares. The panel has also asked for scientific studies to be carried out.
This includes a study on bivalves, oysters and shell fish found in the coastal ecology of the region. Bivalves are a major source of income for the locals, but no studies have been carried out on the project’s impact on them.
KSIIDC will also have to implement a marine diversity conservation management plan as suggested by the National Institute of Oceanography or any institute on marine ecology, to offset the project’s impact on environment.
This will include conservation of marine and intertidal biotopes, corals, intertidal ecology, aquatic animals, birds and marine mammals.
Ramachandra Bhatta, Emeritus Scientist, Indian Council of Agriculture Research, Mangalore wrote to the ministry listing out deficiencies in the environment impact assessment (EIA) report. “EIA document and also other data and information is based on unscientific analysis. There are no answers regarding loss of livelihood, fresh water availability and salt water intrusion,” Bhatta wrote.
Kanchi Kohli, a researcher from Namati’s, Environmental Justice Programme, said, “The project will be developed on a PPP basis but the developer is yet to be finalised and there is no detailed project report yet. The panel has recommended clearance even before any studies were carried out on marine ecology. Even the developer has not been finalised yet and detailed project report has not been prepared. There are also several disparities in data given in the project feasibility report and EIA report.”
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