Machimar Adhikar Sangharsh Sangathan (MASS), Kutch, Gujarat

Activists arrested in Bhadreshwar protesting the illegal construction work of the OPG Thermal Plant

2011-11-26T18:48:00.004+05:30

TEN PROTESTORS ARRESTED, VILLAGERS MARCH TO THE POLICE STATION DEMANDING THEIR ARREST OR HALT CONSTRUCTION WORK OF THE OPG THERMAL PLANT

26th November 2011, Mundra - OPG Power Gujarat Limited has again initiated construction of its 300 MW thermal power plant, in its third attempt to break through the deadlock of opposition and regulation that has so far prevented the project from going ahead. The fisherworkers, salt pan workers and grazing communities living on the Bhadreshwar coast are aware of the serious impacts and changes this construction activity will bring to their livelihoods in the near future. Under the banner of Machimar Adhikar Sangharsh Sangathan (MASS) a fishworker's trade union the villagers have been protesting against this initiative since 2009.

The OPG Group’s initial public hearing in 2009 to set up the 300 MW thermal plant was met with unprecedented and unanimous opposition from the local community mainly fishworkers, saltpan workers and farmers whose livelihoods are under threat due to the project. While the state SEIAA was deliberating on the issues, OPG applied to MoEF for expansion to 2600 MW, which clearly shows the mischievous intent of getting the two clearances parallel - 300 MW from the Gujarat State Environment Impact Assessment Authority (SEIAA) and the ToR from the MoEF for the Environment Impact Assessment. The pending approval from the SEIAA was not at all mentioned in the application to the MoEF. This piece of information was only revealed when an RTI application was filed by MASS. A petition was sent to Mr Jairam Ramesh on 26 February 2010 which highlighted the OPG group has deliberately tried to mislead the concerned authorities, and therefore their proposal is liable to rejection invoking Section 8 (vi) of the EIA notification. It is important to note the number of irregularities done by this company. In June 2010, OPG received its environment clearance from Gujarat SEIAA for its 300 MW plant, with 121 conditions, however due to the location along the coast; this project also needed additional permissions under the Coastal Regulation Zone (CRZ), 1991 notification. This permission was denied by the MoEF Expert Appraisal Committee in July 2010. The company was asked to submit a revised proposal clearly stating that the coastal environment would be negatively impacted by the construction of an open channel. In spite of this, the company went ahead with its construction activity due to which it was slapped a show cause notice on 15th December 2010 by the MoEF.

On 16th September 2011 the company got its approval under the CRZ notification, yet again with a long list of conditions attached, however the forest permission (needed to convert lands for non-forest use) has not yet been granted. But the company has started its construction and is going ahead without obtaining necessary clearances. MASS has written a letter dated 1st November, 2011 to the Environment minister, forest department, police department officials highlighting this violation and urging immediate action. (Annexure 1). Instead of taking action to stop the illegal construction, the police department sanctioned police protection to the company for its illegal activities. MASS’ appeals to senior police officials to revoke their support to the illegal activities of the company met with deaf ears. (Annexure 2). Meanwhile, the company, emboldened by the inaction of the environment ministry and the support of the police, went ahead with the construction with the full knowledge that its actions are in clear violation of environment and forest laws.

The activists of MASS opposed this move and since the last four days the women from Bhadreshwar Bandar have been protesting against this unapproved construction with no complete clearance till now, which irked the company and today 26th November 2011, ten leaders and activists of MASS which includes Kirit Singh Javeja, Hussein Kara, Ahmed Majlia were arrested by the police and taken to the Mundra police station. Approximately 300 villagers have marched to the police station in Mundra and are protesting against this arrest and have made it clear to either arrest all of them, as that’s the only way the company can continue its illegal construction.

The people of Mundra coast are waging this struggle to protect the commons on which their survival depends, human dignity and right to livelihoods.

OPG Power Bhadreshwar Third time around the law

2011-11-21T12:45:00.005+05:30

Third time around the law

Construction of a project that requires environmental, coastal zone and forest permissions cannot begin until all of these are secured. Or can it? Kanchi Kohlireports.

22 Novemober 2011 - Trouble seems to be brewing along the Bhadreshwar coast. OPG Power Gujarat Limited has initiated construction of its 300 MW thermal power plant, in its third attempt to break through the logjam of opposition and regulation that has so far prevented the project from going ahead. The fenced-off area is receiving drilling and building equipment, and company employees face the ire of fishing communities living in the inter-tidal mudflats.The fisherfolk, salt pan workers and grazing communities living on the Bhadreshwar coast are both livid and tense, acutely aware of the impacts and changes this construction activity will bring in the near future. The inter tidal mudflats and the coastline of the Randh Bander is the source of their thriving livelihoods, and if the thermal power plant comes up this will be gone forever. So, they have gone to court, taken to the streets and even have told the company clearly that they don't have much faith that that there will be minimal or no impacts in the area. India Together has covered this struggle extensively in previous article - (seehere, here, here and here.Bhadreshwar is the second largest fish production centre on the Kutch coast in Gujarat. It is estimated that nearly 6000 fisherfolk from Bhadreshwar, Luni, Tuna and Sangad villages have been using the Randh Bander for traditional fishing for over 200 years. Boat fishing is carried out upto 10 km from the coast and pagadiya (on foot) fishing is carried out on a 10-km stretch along the coast (5 km on each side of the Bander).OPG in BhadreshwarAccording to a 17 January 2011 news release on the group's website, the OPG group has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the Gujarat government for a power generation production capacity of 5400 MW in the state. This includes 1400 MW Gas based power generation, and the rest is with coal which the company proposes to receive through the port operated at the neighbouring Mundra coast, run by the Adani group.The Machimar Adhikar Sangharsh Sangathan (MASS) a fishworker's trade union in Bhadreshwar, had pointed out the first instance of legal infirmity by the OPG group back in 2009-2010. OPG first disclosed its proposal to set up a 300 MW thermal power plant in Bhadreshwar village of Mundra taluka and applied for environment clearance from Gujarat State Environment Impact Assessment Authority (SEIAA). As per the Environment Impact Assessment (EIA) notification 2006, thermal power projects under 500 MW are termed as 'Category B' and need to take permission at the state level (larger 'Category A' projects need approval from the MoEF in New Delhi).Since OPG's future plans were not limited to development of 300 MW on the Bhadreshwar coast, on 3 December 2009 the group submitted an application to the MoEF for establishing the Terms of Reference (ToR) to prepare an Environment Impact Assessment report for the expansion of the plant from 300 MW to 2600 MW. This letter made no mention of the fact that application for the 300 MW plant has not yet been granted approval. If it were not a Right to Information (RTI) application which was filed by MASS which revealed the details of the expansion, these two clearance processes would have gone along in parallel.With this information in hand MASS representatives wrote to the then Minister of Environment and Forests (MoEF), Jairam Ramesh seeking the Ministry's intervention and pointing to these irregularities. The letter on 26 February 2010 highlighted the OPG group has deliberately tried to mislead the concerned authorities, and therefore their proposal is liable to rejection invoking Section 8 (vi) of the EIA notification.But no such action was taken. Meanwhile, in June 2010 OPG received its environment clearance from Gujarat SEIAA for its 300 MW plant, with a long list of 121 conditions - one of the longest in the history of environment clearances granted. But because of its location along the coast, this project also needed additional permissions under the Coastal Regulation Zone (CRZ), 1991 notification.This permission was denied. OPG's proposal to build an intake channel to the thermal power plant along the coast was rejected by MoEF's Expert Appraisal Committee (EAC) for Building Construction, Coastal Regulation Zone, Infrastructure Development and Miscellaneous projects in July 2010. The committee felt that the coastal environment would be negatively impacted by the construction of an open channel, and instead suggested that OPG could consider the construction of a pipeline instead, to provide for water requirements of the 300 MW plant. The company was to submit a revised proposal.However, with no CRZ clearance in hand the company announced its Bhoomi Pujan to initiate the construction activity in November 2010. Evidence indicated that OPG had undertaken land-filling and cutting of trees without the CRZ approval this. This came to the notice of the fisherfolk when invitation cards were distributed widely in the area. MASS took it upon themselves to point out this irregularity to the MoEF.

MoEF issued a show cause notice to the company asking it to explain why it had begun construction without the necessary approvals.

• A sham again

• A crevasse in regulation

• The clock is ticking

• The cost of the coastIt was only following this that the officials of the Ministry issued a show cause notice on 15 December 2010 to the company, asking why construction activity had been undertaken prior to the approvals being granted. However, although the fisherfolk had been instrumental in raising many of the issues in the show-cause notice, the exchange between the MoEF and the company took place with no involvement of the locals.Another instance of construction without approvalsOn 16 September 2011, the company got its approval under the CRZ notification, this time too with a long list of conditions attached. But this story does not end here, since the forest permission (needed to convert lands for non-forest use) is still pending. However, this time too the company has gone ahead with the construction, prompting one more outcry from the locals.Information received through an RTI application by Kiritsinh Naruba Jadeja in October 2010 indicates that the forest clearance procedure is far from complete. The company has applied for the diversion of recently, and the application is yet to be processed. MASS and the fisherfolk have brought this to the attention of the Minister of Environment and Forests, Jayanthi Natrajan and senior officials of the Ministry. A complaint has also been filed before D K Sharma, Chief Conservator of Forests (CCF), Bhuj but no action has been taken as yet.The fishworkers and other coastal communities of Kutch, have also written to T Chatterjee, Secretary, MoEF, seeking his intervention to reject the CRZ clearance for intake/outfall pipelines for the OPG power project on various grounds. Some of these include the fact that the pipelines are proposed right next to Randh Bander which is Kutch's second largest fish production centre, which is the only source of livelihoods for thousands of traditional fisherfolk in the Mundra coast.Further, due to high eroding nature of the Bhadreshwar coast, the sand dunes keep shifting continuously and the proposed pipelines pose a risk to the sand dunes at present and in future. Moreover, the appeal says the Gujarat Fisheries department has opposed the OPG project in the area, and has plans to develop Randh Bander into a modern fish landing centre.Amidst all this, an old way of life goes on in the area - with the sounds of the waves, the array of Bombay Duck fish left for trying around fishing shelters, the conversations with the people as they mend their fishing nets, and the flamingoes that visit Randh Bander year after year. Without the simple right to determine their own destiny, another local community struggles to come to terms with a system that casts them aside in the pursuit of 'national development'.

⊕Kanchi Kohli

22 Nov 2011

Link:- http://www.indiatogether.org/2011/nov/env-opg.htm

2011-11-21T00:04:00.007+05:30

URGENT APPEAL STOP THE ILLEGAL CONSTRUCTION AND POLICE PROTECTION FOR THE CONSTRUCTION OF THE 300 MW PLANT BY M/S OPG POWER PVT LTD IN BHADRESHWAR, KUTCH GUJARAT IN VIOLATION OF THE FOREST CONSERVATION ACT, 1980

It is with deep urgency that we are writing to you to point out the second instance of illegal construction activity being carried out by M/s OPG Power Pvt Ltd in Bhadreshwar, Mundra taluka of Kutch district. The construction is illegal as it is a violation of Forest Conservation Act (FCA),1980 because the company has not yet received forest clearance for the project. We have raised the issue with the environment ministry and sadly no action has been taken to stop the illegal construction activity. It is shocking to know that the illegal construction activity is being done with the support of the police and there. We are in possession of a letter from OPG to the SP, Kutch making payment for the police protection that has been sanctioned for the illegal construction activity. A recent Indian Express article quoted a forest official stating that illegal construction activity is indeed going on and the forest department was not taking action due to lack of jurisdiction. We would be happy to share any documents your require for information. [SEE LETTER TO DIRECTOR GENERAL, POLICE, GUJARAT PASTED BELOW AND LETTER TO JAYANTHI NATRAJAN, MINISTER OF ENVIRONMENT AND FORESTS ATTACHED]

We appeal to you to send an email or fax to the following persons to take strong action against the company, withdraw police support for its illegal activities and reject the environmental and CRZ clearance for the project. Your appeal could state along with attached documents:

“We endorse the complaint letter sent by the local communities pointing out the illegal construction activity by 300 MW thermal power plant by M/s OPG Power Pvt Ltd in Bhadreshwar, Mundra, Kutch Gujarat and urge you to immediately take action to withdraw police protection for the illegal construction and reject the environment and CRZ clearance for the project ” Please send the message by email or fax to 1. Director General of Police, Gujarat ( Fax 079 23246338, E-mail : dgp-gs@gujarat.gov.in)

2. Jayanthi Natrajan, Minister of Environment and Forest (Fax: 011- 24362222 E mail: jayanthi.n@sansad.nic.in and mosefgoi@nic.in)

3. B.K.Sharma, Conservator of Forests, Bhuj, Kutch (Email: cfkutchad1@sanchamet.in; Office No: 02832 220937)

Please mark a copy of your email appeal to mass.kutch@gmail.com, so that we can send a consolidated list to the SP, Kutch.

For more information on the issue and history of the struggle please see: http://masskutch.blogspot.com

1st November 2011

Ms. Jayanthi Natarajan

Union Minister of State Ministry of Environment and Forests

Paryavaran Bhavan,

CGO Complex New Delhi-110003

Subject: Urgent intervention to stop the Illegal Construction of 300 MW thermal power plant by M/s OPG Power Pvt Ltd in ecologically fragile area of Bhadreshwar, Mundra Gujarat in violations of the Forest (Conservation) Act, 1980 Reference: Show cause notice issued to M/s OPG Power Pvt Ltd by Ministry of Environment and Forests and our submission to Shri T.Chhaterjee regarding cancellation of the CRZ clearance

Dear Ms. Natarajan, It is with deep urgency that we are writing to you to point out the second instance of illegal construction activity being carried out by M/s OPG Power Pvt Ltd in Bhadreshwar, Mundra taluka in the ecologically fragile Kutch district of Gujarat. In November 2010, we had brought to the attention of the Ministry of Environment and Forests (MoEF) that the said company had initiated construction activity without the requisite approval under the Coastal Regulation Zone notification, 1991. The officials of the Ministry had issued a show cause notice on 15th December 2010 (See Annexure 1) to the company seeking explanation on why construction activity had been undertaken prior to all approvals being granted. This was following a site visit led by Dr. A Senthil Vel, Additional Director, MoEF on 6-7 December 2010, and included officials of the Gujarat Pollution Control Board and Gujarat Ecological Commission. The company had stopped the construction of the plant just prior to the site visit and after mass local protest against the construction. Following the grant of CRZ approval in September 2011, the company has now once again initiated construction at the project site. Truck loads of building material have been brought and dumped at the site and construction activity has been initiated. We are attaching photographs as evidence (See Annexure 2). However, we would like to be bring to your attention that the company has applied for the diversion of 3.6768 hectares of forest land only on 17.10.2011 and the application is yet to be processed. We are attaching the original as well as the translation of the response to an RTI application which has been received on 24.10.2011 for your reference which clearly indicates the above (See Annexure 3). This is the second time that M/s OPG has initiated construction activity completely disregarding the various environmental laws and procedures prescribed by the MoEF. With regards to the violations under the FCA we would like to reiterate the Section 4.4. of the Guidelines issued under the FCA which clearly indicates that no construction activity for a project involving both forest and non-forest land can be initiated prior to the forest clearance issued under the FCA. This applies to initiating construction activity even on non-forest land. We are attaching the letter issued on 21st March 2011 by MoEF strongly reiterating this position. We would also bring to your attention that the fishworkers and other coastal communities of Kutch, have written to Shri T.Chatterjee seeking his intervention to reject the CRZ clearance for intake/outfall pipelines for OPG power project on various grounds. Some of these include, The intake/outfall pipelines are proposed right next to Randh Bander which is Kutch’s second largest fish production centre, which is the only source of livelihoods for thousands of traditional fisherfolk in the Mundra coast. Due to high eroding nature of the Bhadreshwar coast, the sand dunes keep shifting continuously and the proposed pipelines pose a risk to the sand dunes at present and in future. Moreover, the Gujarat Fisheries department has opposed the OPG project in the area, and has plans to develop Randh Bander into a modern fish landing centre. Over the last few years we have written to the MoEF repeatedly highlighting the ecological and social importance of the area. M/s OPG has at several points of time disregarded legal procedures as they are doing so again now. While the current and previous instances have been stated above we would also like to bring to your attention that the company had simultaneously applied for the clearances for the 300 MW plant with the State Environment Impact Assessment Authority (SEIAA) for the expansion of 2600 MW before the MoEF without waiting for the decision of the SEIAA. The application was rejected when this was brought to the attention to the MoEF following a response received under Right to Information. We attach copies of the RTI response and MoEF's action taken as Annexure 4. Given the history and reputation of the company with repeated violations we have no faith that they will give regard to the interest of the local communities as initiated in the clearance conditions. We do hope that the need for this will not arise as M/s OPG will not be allowed to build the plant in the area which will disenfranchise a thriving fishing community and their fishing cultures. Moreover it will significantly impact one of the most fragile and biodiverse inter-tidal belts in the country today. We therefore urgently seek your intervention to: 1. Initiate Action against M/s OPG Power Gujarat Limited for repeated violations of environmental laws and specific violations of the Forest (Conservation) Act, 1980. 2. Direct the M/s OPG Power Gujarat Limited to immediately stop any construction activity or procurement of material in the area as it is in violations of the Forest (Conservation) Act, 1980. 3. Reject the proposal of the M/s OPG to construct the thermal power plant in the area on grounds of ecological and cultural fragility of the area and impacts on thriving fishing livelihoods. We sincerely look forward to your immediate action in this regard to put a stop to the illegal construction activity taking place in the area.

Thanking you. Yours Truly,

2011-11-03T16:39:00.005+05:30

Kutch fishermen write to MoEF against proposed power plant

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ADAMHALLIDAYTags : OPG Power Ventures, Jayanthi Natarajan,Machimar Adhikar Sangharsh Sangathan, Kutch fishermenPosted: Thu Nov 03 2011, 02:43 hrsAhmedabad:The 300-MW coal-based power plant proposed by OPG Power Ventures PLC near Bhadreshwar village in Kutch district may hit another hurdle. Local fishermen have written a letter to Union Minister of Environment and Forests Jayanthi Natarajan attaching RTI replies which suggest the company may have tripped the same wire twice — beginning constructions without obtaining necessary clearances.The Union Ministry of Environment and Forests (MoEF) had in De

cember 2010 pulled up the company for beginning constructions at the site without obtaining Coastal Zone Regulation (CRZ) clearance for its intake and outfall channels — pipelines that would carry water to and from the sea to the plant.The company had set up barbed wire fences around the site, cleared vegetation, levelled the soil and initiated soil testing and compacting, according to a site inspection report by MoEF’s additional director A Senthilvel.Ads by GoogleSenthilvel’s visit and consequent actions had put a stop to the company’s work there and, after roughly nine months, a final clearance was given to the project in September 2011 after the company agreed to several riders; these included provisions of Rs 108 crore as Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) and environment measures by the company as well as several infrastructure re-designs that would mitigate adverse effects on the local pollution.But recently, the local fishermen’s association obtained RTI replies that showed the company applied for clearance to use about 3.6 hectares of forest land that would be part of the project. Although the application was made on October 17 and is currently pending at the office of the Chief Conservator of Forests, Kutch, OPG has apparently begun work on the plant site.This gains significance because in March 2011, the MoEF had issued a circular to all state and regional agencies under it, stating that such a move is not allowed. “Some projects involve use of forest land as well as non-forest land. State governments/project authorities sometimes start work on non-forest land in anticipation of the approval of the central government for release of the forest lands required for the projects,” the circular said.“Though the provisions of the (Forest Conservation Act 1980) may not have technically been violated by starting of work on non-forest lands, expenditure of works incurred on non-forest lands may prove to be infructous if diversion of forest land involved is not approved. It has, therefore, been decided that if a project involves forest as well as non-forest land, work should not be started on non-forest land till approval of the central government for release of forest land under the Act has been given,” it added.The Machimar Adhikar Sangharsh Sangathan (MASS) has attached copies of the RTI replies and this particular circular to the letters it sent to Natarajan. The association has asked the minister to initiate action against the company and cancel the permission for setting up the plant. “Bhadreshwar is an important location for fisheries. Also, there is a proposal with the government to develop a fish landing centre in Bhadreshwar,” the letter said.Interestingly, even the state fisheries department has supported MASS’s stand. Last year, the deputy commissioner (fisheries) had asked the Kutch district collector to cancel the approval given to OPG, saying the “local fisherfolk/fishing is likely to be affected by the power plant which is coming up in Bhadreshwar village of Mundra taluka”.MASS is a fishermen’s association that claims a membership of 5,000, and has spearheaded a three-year long agitation against the power plant fearing it would damage nearby saltpans, kill fish in the sea and affect the inter-tidal mud-flats where the fishing community has for generations practiced a traditional form of fishing — pagadiya.

2011-10-07T14:00:00.004+05:30

ndiaBoat rally from Kutch to protect coastal environmentBhuj | Tuesday, Oct 4 2011 IST Dr Kanubhai Kalsaria, rebel BJP MLA from Mahuva who spearheaded farmers protest against Nirma company s cement plant, has announced a boat rally from Randh port in Kutch to Umargam port in South Gujarat to protect coastal areas from industrial pollution. Addressing a meeting of fishermen, farmers and salt workers at Randh port in Bhadreshwar taluka of Kutch yesterday, Dr Kalsaria said the state government s approach towards industries is that of a mythical figure Dhritrashtra , who does not want to see anything but the industries. The state government is insensitive to the concerns of farmers, fishermen, salt workers and cattle-owners , he said. The BJP leader said the dates for the boat rally will be finalised shortly. The purpose of the rally is to create awareness among the people about the need to protect the environment along Gujarat s 1600 kms coastline. Veteran socialist leader Sanat Mehta said if the fishermen, farmers and salt workers failed to wake up against the upcoming industries, they will have to lose their traditional means of livelihood. The people of this area have been opposing upcoming power plant of OPG company, he added.

2011-09-22T06:57:00.001+05:30

The cost of the coast

2011-08-30T17:18:00.001+05:30

MUNDRA
The cost of the coast
The people of Mundra coast face a constant struggle to protect their commons, rights and the very socio ecological character of the region from the massive land use changes around them. Kanchi Kohli reports.

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30 August 2011 - Nearly 5000 fisher folk, salt pan workers, pastoralists and farmers of the Mundra coast embarked on a padayatra in early August, to Save the sea, Save the land, Save the environment of their region. The march, which started from Bhadreshwar village on 3 August reached the district headquarters in Bhuj on the following day, where a 31-point memorandum was submitted to the District Collector.

The march travelled through the villages of Wadala, Mokha Chokri, Kundhrodi, Patri, Wanki, Tappar, Babia, Kera, Baldiya, and Bharapar, and at each point more people joined in to walk in unison to protect their lives cultures and livelihoods which has been severely impacted by indiscriminate industrial expansion in the area.

Mundra is a coastal taluka in Kutch, the largest district of Gujarat. The area is known for its rich biodiversity, with a fascinating interplay of inter-tidal mudflats, mangroves housing a rich diversity of seaweed, corals, fishes and an array of marine life. The Mundra belt has always been considered to be extremely ecologically fragile. The region supports the lives and livelihoods of fishing, pastoral and farming communities, and their salt panning activity. The Kutch region is also internationally known to be a bird watching paradise - it is a very critical habitat for a number of resident and migratory birds, with Mundra itself being no exception.

All this ecological sensitivity and unique cultural significance has been under threat for quite some time now - due to rising industrial investments, especially from private sources. One of the most significant investors and developers of the Mundra coast has been the Adani group, which has spread over the Mundra landscape with its port facilities and power plants for which ore is imported from Adani-owned mines in Indonesia. The Tatas too have established themselves, and have set up a massive thermal power plant.

Government reports on the Mundra coast have repeatedly highlighted the huge environmental impacts in the area due to the rapid industrial expansion. A report of H S Singh, Chief Conservator of Forests, Gujarat Forest Department published in early 2007 pointed to the drastic loss of mangrove forests, mainly from industrial activities, specifically in the Gulf of Kutch. The report also brought out that in certain areas along the Gujarat coast like Mundra and Hazira, the mangroves disappeared overnight. The Mundra Special Economic Zone (SEZ) area set by the Adani group included 3000 hectares of mangroves, and much of this has been cleared.

Government reports on the Mundra coast have repeatedly highlighted the huge environmental impacts in the area due to the rapid industrial expansion.

• Women warriors of the sea
• Exempt, but not exempt
• The clock is ticking

For the people of Mundra coast, this massive and and fast paced transition is now an everyday story. Theirs is a constant struggle to protect their commons, rights and the very socio ecological character of Mundra and surrounding coastlines from the massive land use changes being facilitated through approvals from the centres of power. The affected people have tried petitioning, dialogue with government officials, legal action, street protests and also sought media support at various points of time.

After continuous lobbying efforts, the Ministry of Environment and Forests (MoEF) in December 2010 carried out a site inspection around the operations of two companies in Mundra. This was in response to a complaint filed by Machimar Adhikar Sangharsh Sangathan (MASS) highlighting specific violations of the Coastal Regulation Zone (CRZ) notification and other laws. These were the operations related to the Adani-owned Mundra Port and SEZ Ltd (MPSEZ) and the OPG group which has proposed a thermal power plant to be set up in Bhadreshwar. The site visit was led by Dr. A Senthil Vel, Additional Director, MoEF on 6-7 December 2010, and included officials of the Gujarat Pollution Control Board and Gujarat Ecological Commission.

The site inspection confirmed the violations, and that both the OPG group and the MPSEZ were issued show cause notices on 15 December 2010. MPSEZ was questioned amongst other things about large scale reclamation using dredged material, mangrove destruction, obstruction of creeks and the natural flow of seawater, construction of a township and an airport without permissions, and so on. These were also considered to be violations of conditions laid down by the MoEF and accepted by MPSEZ when the waterfront development activities of the company were granted environment clearance under the Environment Impact Assessment Notification on 12 January 2009. MPSEZ was asked to respond to this show cause notice within 15 days.

What is ironic is that the decision on this show cause notice is still pending eight months after the notice was issued, and MPSEZ's activities are continuing unabated. The reason for the delay was a response that was awaited from the Gujarat Coastal Zone Management Authority (GCZMA) which was in turn waiting for CRZ demarcation maps based on which it could be ascertained whether legal violation has taken place or not.

It does not seem to matter if the destruction of mangroves, creeks, mudflats, inter tidal areas and many other fragile areas are ravaged completely and irreversible land use change be allowed for, irrespective of whether it is done legally or not. Social and environmental impacts will not be less irreversible if an activity has a official license or not.

The padayatra. Pic credit: MASS

The padyatra was an attempt to draw attention to this larger question. Among other things, it highlighted the complete dependence of the fish workers of Mundra on their traditional trade. The power plants create massive intake and outtake channels that have severely curtailed their access to the sea. Additionally, the discharge from the plants into the sea is of much higher temperatures than the sea, leading to dramatic impacts on ecosystem on which plankton and other sea life are dependent.

In the past few years fisher folks on the coast of Kutch have already reported significant reductions of their fish yields. Tragdi village, which is well known for lobster fishing, saw negligible yield during the 2010-2011 fishing season, said a press release issued during the padyatra.

The memorandum submitted to the District Collector has highlighted the extent and range of impact in the region. One specific instance elaborated was that of setting up of the 300 MW thermal power plant by the OPG group which has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the Gujarat government for a production capacity of 5000 MW. Pointing to the impacts from OPG's first phase of operations, the memorandum states that the plant will impact the lives of over 6000 fisher folk in Bhadreshwar. In addition, the livelihood of 5000 salt-pan workers and 7000 farmers and Maldharis, who depend on the gauchar (grazing) land of the village and on farming, is also threatened by the OPG power plant (see this earlier article).

The memorandum, with its 31 contentions, has requested the Collector to ask the government to safeguard the constitutional right of life, and the dignity of the people of the area. It has also sought clear accountability from the government with respect to its facilitation of extractive industrial takeover of the Mundra coastline.

While the people's determination is yet again inspiring, the real question is: what can we expect from the decision-making desks?
⊕

Kanchi Kohli
30 Aug 2011

Kanchi Kohli is based in New Delhi and a member of the Kalpavriksh Environmental Action Group.

MASS Padyatra

2011-08-01T11:47:00.006+05:30

Machimar Adhikar Sangharsh Sangathan

Address: At & Post Bhadreshwar, Ta: Mundra, Kutch – 370411

Email: mass.kutch@gmail.com Phone: 9426469803 Website: http://masskutch.blogspot.com

Reference Date August 4, 2011

Press

Release

Concluding their historic journey in Bhuj today over 5000 fisher folk, salt pan workers, pastoralists, and farmers from several villages in Mundra Taluk submitted a memorandum to the collector’s office today. United under the banner “Save the sea, save the land, save the environment” the fisher folk and farmers were protesting the destruction of their livelihood by power plants in the area constructed by industrial giants such as Adani and TATA. They beg

an their historic padyatra from Bhadreshwar yesterday and were joined by Punamben Madam, BJP MLA Mahua Dr. Kanubhai Kalsaria and Local Leader Kiritsinh Jadeja , Husen Kara, Amd Elias Majaliya also present at the inauguration of the padyatra spoke passionately about the needs of fisher folks and salt pan workers. The Padyatra stopped at Kera gaam and spent the night with lively songs, slogans, and speeches on their efforts to save their livelihood. Leaving early next morning the yatra reached Bhuj mid day to be joined by more people in support and solidarity of the movement.

The padyatra was initiated by the threat of destruction of bhanders (where fisher folk live during the 9 months fishing season) by the British based OPG power plant and the KPGL power plant (Kutch Power Generation Limited). The two power plants have severely curtained the fisher folk’s access to the sea as well as destroying their fish yield as a consequence of the outlet channels. The energetic gathering which included women and children bearing signs and slogans highlighted issues that have threatened their livelihood for the past several years.

The 31 point memorandum that was submitted to the collector’s office detailed the adverse impact on the lives of all these communities by companies such as ADANI Mundra Port and SEZ, KPGL, OPG and TATA power plants. The memorandum states that in Bhadreshwar the lives of over 6000 fisher folks are at stake should the OPG plant come up. In addition, the livelihood of 5000 salt-pan workers and 7000 farmers and Maldharis, who depend on the Gauchar land of the village and on farming, is also threatened by the OPG power plant. Mega Ports, SEZs, power plants, desalination plants are concentrated on the coastline between Bhadreshwar and Mandvi which has been declared ecologically sensitive and is the home of traditional communities involved in fishing, salt making, agriculture and animal husbandry. According to the study conducted by the Institute of Ocean Management, Anna University, Chennai the coastal strip from Luni to Vandi is especially susceptible to erosion, and should the power plants be established the area will suffer irretrievable damage. The Mundra coastline is unique for its mangrove forests which is a delicate ecological system that harbours crustacean and other protected species and provides a natural defence against cyclones. However since 1998, 3000 hectares of mangrove forests have been illegally destroyed by Adani group. In spite of media attention and ministry’s assurances that action will be taken, no action has been taken so far and the destruction of mangroves continues till date.

Furthermore, recognizing the severe problem of fresh water shortage in the area, the Government of Gujarat has already spent the sum of Rs. 8 crores on the area between the OPG Power Project and KPGL Power Ltd in order to create bunds to prevent salinity by conserving rain-water. However the power projects will render the effort a failure.

People fear that the Gulf of Kutch has exceeded its carrying capacity due to indiscriminate industrial expansion on either side. However the government has no study of the combined impact of the effluent discharged by all the industries and approves every project by examining each project individually. In the interests of the communities that survive on the natural resources of the Gulf of Kutch, It is imperative to understand the cumulative impact of all the industries to ensure that the ecology of the Gulf of Kutch is not irreversibly damaged and destroyed.

In addition to the destruction of the marine environment, land in Mundra has been severely affected. The corrosive smoke discharges from coal burning in the power plans have already caused extensive damage to salt pans, which is a major occupation in the area (Kutch produces nearly 70% of Gujarat’s salt production). Salt is gathered for drying onto flats, because of the smoke discharge, the top layer of the salt turns black and affects the quality. Efforts to maintain quality by removing the entire top layer results in a significant loss in weight to the output of salt pan workers who are finding it increasingly hard to eke out a living. The smoke discharge has also had an adverse impact on fisher folk who dry their fish on lines before it goes to the market. Similar to the salt, the smoke discharge sticks to the drying fish affecting their quality and making them unsuitable for consumption. While smoke stacks cause damage to the salt pans, the intake and output lines to cool the power plants have resulted in increasing the salinity of the ground water in several villages. For instance 1600 hectares of chikoo, coconut and date farms have been destroyed as consequence of ground water salination due to the Adani’s sea water channels in the area. The channels draw large quantities of sea water and lead to destruction of marine organisms, including fish, thereby affecting the livelihoods of fisher folk. On the 15^th of December 2010 the company was served a show-cause notice by the Ministry of Forest and Environment as this illegal encroachment violates the CRZ Notification. However, despite the show-cause notice no worthwhile action has been taken either by the company or by the administration.

The fish workers of Mundra solely depend on fishing and are particularly vulnerable because they need access to the sea and the fish to make a living. The power plants create massive intake and outtake channels that have severely curtailed fisher folk's access to the sea. Additionally, the discharge by the plants into the sea after cooling the plant is of water temperatures higher than the sea. Even small changes in water temperature of the sea results in dramatic impact of the fragile ecosystem on which plankton and other sea life are dependent. In the past few years fisher folks on the coast of Kutch have already noticed drastic change resulting in significant reduction of their fish yields. In Tragdi village for example, which is well known for lobster fishing, during the 2010-2011 fishing season, the yield of lobster was negligible.

The combined impact of the projects on the environment, land and sea has long term impact on the lives of large traditional communities of Kutch. Realising that their future is bleak and their very survival is under serious threat, the fisher folk, salt pan workers along with pastoralists and farmers united with the fisher folk under the banner of the Machimar Adhikar Sangharsh Sanghatan the memorandum to the collector asked the government to safeguard the constitutional right to live and dignity and seek accountability from the Government demanding that they be allowed to pursue their traditional livelihoods and lead a dignified life.

Jairam announces special panel to monitor Gulf of Kutch

2011-03-04T10:23:00.002+05:30

The Kutch Fishworkers welcome the Environment Minister's announcement to form a special panel to monitor the entire Gulf of Kutch and aupport the measures taken by the Ministry to protect the unique ecology of the Gulf of Kutch which is critical for the survival of the coastal communities. To read more about the Gulf of Kutch ecology and the traditional communities along the Kutch coast:
Ecological Significance of the Mundra Coast
Kutch Coast - People, Environment and Livelihoods

To support the fishworkers demands and the ministry's efforts to protect the Gulf of kutch ecology and the livelihoods of coastal communities, please sign an online petition http://www.gopetition.com/online/33561.html

Express News Service Posted online: Thu Mar 03 2011, 04:27 hrs
Jamnagar : The Environment Minister says MoEF does not intend to hamper economic activity, but considers the gulf a ‘very sensitive’ area
Union Environment Minister Jairam Ramesh on Wednesday announced that a special monitoring committee will be formed for the entire Gulf of Kutch and not just the Marine Wildlife Sanctuary, saying “we believe the Gulf of Kutch is a very sensitive area”.

Speaking at the inauguration of National Centre for Marine Bio-Diversity Centre (NCMB) here, he said a notification to this effect will be issued in three days.

The announcement comes less than a month after the state’s environment secretary, S K Nanda, requested that only “ecologically sensitive” areas in both the gulfs off Gujarat (Kutch and Khambat) be declared as Critically Vulnerable Coastal Area (CVCA) and not the entire gulfs.

Various areas along the country’s coastline have been declared CVCAs, most notable among them is Sunderbans in West Bengal. Nanda had made the request during a meeting of state secretaries to discuss the Coastal Regulation Zone notification, 2011, last month.

But Ramesh made it clear that the ministry “does not intend to hamper economic activity at all” but at the same time, considered the Gulf of Kutch an important area that needs comprehensive attention.

The Kutch coast has experienced rapid industrialisation in the recent past and holds at least two ultra-mega power plants (with a capacity of 4,000 MW or above) and two major ports (Mundra and Kandla) besides numerous small and big industrial units.

Such activities have not gone down well with locals in many areas. Many fear that large-scale industrialisation would disrupt the means of livelihood as a major part of the coastal population depends fishing, salt pans, agriculture and animal husbandry.

They have often requested, in writing to various officials, that a carrying-capacity study be done for the Kutch coast before industrialisation plans are laid.

Satellite images of Mundra coast sought from Adanis

Jairam Ramesh said the Union Ministry of Environment and Forests (MoEF) has asked the Adani group to provide satellite images of the Mundra coast that show the status of the area before and after the Rs 29,610-crore multi-product SEZ and port came up there.

The MoEF, he said, had received a reply from the Adanis following a site visit by A Senthilvel, additional director, in December 2010, and a subsequent show-cause notice to the group.

The notice had asked the business house as to why it should not dismantle certain constructions that it said were built without permission and which was disturbing the ecology, as well as why environmental clearances given to it earlier should not be revoked in the face of the breach of laws.

A spokesperson for the Adani group had told The Indian Express then that all the constructions carried out in the area were done after obtaining clearances.

Adani claims "We didn't destroy mangroves - the local communities and camels did"

2011-03-02T05:38:00.013+05:30

Click below to see the Adanis' defence to allegations of large scale mangrove destruction on the NDTV "Save the Coast" campaign

The fishworkers of Kutch condemn the false claims made by the Adani Group and support stringent action by the Environment Ministry against the Adani Group for the serious violations of environment, forest and coastal regulation laws.

To support action against the Adani Group for the damage caused to the coastal ecology in Mundra, please sign the online petition http://www.gopetition.com/petition/41546.html

To read more about the Mundra issue, visit,
Adani projects: Eating into the sea?
Adani port: Damaging the coast
MoEF sends a showcause to Mundra Port and SEZ
Local Communities' view of the Mundra issue.

To view the complete Save the Coast campaign on NDTV, visit http://www.ndtv.com/video/player/ndtv-special-ndtv-24x7/ndtv-toyota-etios-save-india-s-coast-campaign/192408

Adani group illegally detains NDTV team reporting on the depletion in Gujarat's mangroves.

2011-02-25T10:14:00.009+05:30

Men from the Adani group harass, assault and illegally detain an NDTV team reporting on the depletion in Gujarat's mangroves.

*Click on the picture below to view the report on NDTV

Read more at: http://www.ndtv.com/video/player/news/adani-co-illegally-confines-ndtv-team/191934?cp

The fishworkers of Kutch strongly condemn the incident and demand stringent action against the Adani Group for the highhanded and illegal behavior of its employees.

Kutch Fishing Community leaders submit a complaint at the Mundra mamlatdar office seeking action against the illegal confinement of NDTV crew working on a report on depletion of mangroves

To express support for the fishworkers struggle and action against the Adani Group for the environmental violations, please sign the online petition http://www.gopetition.com/petition/41546.html

At Bhadreshwar, the clock is ticking

2011-02-22T07:08:00.006+05:30

India Together (http://www.indiatogether.org/2011/feb/env-opg.htm)

The OPG group's plans to build a massive thermal power plant on the ecologically sensitive coast have been dealt a setback by the Ministry of Environment and Forests. But a final decision is still to be made. Kanchi Kohli reports.

22 February 2011 - As we walked along Randh Bander talking to the few fishing families who were the last ones to head towards their village for a community festival, we heard determination and distress at the same time. Smiles surrounded the sunset at the traditional fishing harbour, and conversations as easy as mending nets, anchoring boats and bringing in small fish catch for dinner. But there was also worry, and a strong will among the people to conserve their coastline and protect their fishing livelihoods.

Bhadreshwar is considered to be the second largest fish production centre on the Kutch coast in Gujarat. It is estimated that nearly 6000 fisherfolk from Bhadreshwar, Luni, Tuna and Sangad villages have been using the Bander for traditional fishing for over 200 years. Boat fishing is carried out upto 10 km from the coast and pagadiya (on foot) fishing is carried out on a 10-km stretch along the coast (5 km on each side of the Bander).

A recent National Assessment of Shoreline Change showed the Bhadreshwar coast in red - meaning that it is eroding rapidly, with rising risks of frequent and destructive flooding, compromised water supplies and smaller or fewer beaches. The assessment was carried out by Institute of Ocean Management, Anna University, Chennai, as part of a first-of-its-kind shoreline mapping initiative sponsored by the Ministry of Environment and Forests (MoEF).

Steamrolling the regulations

I have written earlier in India Together (read Environment clearance: A sham again) about procedural flaws and irreversible environmental impacts due to the construction of a thermal power plant by OPG Power Gujarat Private Limited (a Special Purposed Vehicle (SPV) promoted by the OPG Group, based in Chennai), along this fragile coast.

The company made only limited disclosures to the locals and the state environment authorities of its plans to set up a 300 (2x150) MW plant. And without waiting for approval at the state level, the company, OPG simultaneously sought approval from the MoEF to expand this original plants from 300 to 2600 MW. It was only after the local group Machimar Adhikar Sangharsh Samiti (MASS) brought this to the notice of MoEF that the ministry rejected the company's application.

Meanwhile, the environment clearance given for the first phase (300 MW) was challenged before the National Environment Appellate Authority (NEAA). The primary contention was that the mandatory public hearings for the project were not carried out. The company claimed it had met its obligations to informa the local people fully, but this was disputed by the locals themselves. Unfortunately, before this could be sorted out the NEAA itself was wound up, leaving the matter in limbo (see A crevasse in the regulatory environment) .

All of this didn't stop the company from announcing its Bhoomi Puja in November 2010. The state government's clear directions that "the project proponent shall not start any construction/project-enabling activities unless and until environmental clearance as well as all requisite prior permissions/clearances are obtained" was simply ignored.

Recent developments

In July last year, the company suffered a setback; its proposal to build an intake channel to the thermal power plant was rejected by MoEF's Expert Appraisal Committee (EAC) for Building Construction, Coastal Regulation Zone, Infrastructure Development and Miscellaneous projects in July 2010. The committee felt that the coastal environment would be negatively impacted by the construction of an open channel, and instead suggested that OPG could consider the construction of a pipeline instead, to provide for water requirements of the 300 MW plant.

The construction of the expanded plant itself would still need to be reviewed by the EAC; and so would the proposal for a pipeline, if that option is chosen. The company was also directed to seek recommendations for a revised proposal from the Gujarat State Coastal Zone Management Authority.

The EAC met again on 14-15 February 2011, to once again discuss the intake and outflow for the thermal power plant, as required under the rules for construction in the Coastal Regulation Zone. The agenda of the meeting does not specify what was discussed - a pipeline or an open channel - and there continues to be mixed news from anonymous sources on whether or not the EAC recommended approval of the company's proposal.

Site inspection reveals violations

Meanwhile, responding to a series of tireless submissions, memoranda and requests from the local struggle groups, fisherfolk as well as media outcry, one MoEF representative visited the Bhadreshwar coast for a site inspection in December 2010. In his site inspection report A Senthilvel, Additional Director, MOEF remarked that the site is fenced by barbed wires and also cleared of vegetation. With regards to the site for intake channel, the report observed that the intertidal area is more than 2-3 kms, which is large. Further, "the entire stretch is a mud flat, which is highly biologically protective. The coastal waters are known for Bombay duck fishery. The fish catch was also seen in abundance."

This report also highlighted the fact that the Environment Impact Assessment (EIA) for the project, based on which the environment clearance was granted did not cover a very crucial aspects of the poor road conditions in the area and the huge impacts of the movement of coal in the region.

To quote the report, "the imported coal is proposed to be transported from Mundra port, which is 25 km from the site and Kandla Port, which is 48 km. The indigenous coal would be brought by ship to the port or by road or by railway line. As per the information provided the coal would be transported from these ports through covered trucks. As per the information about 150 to 200 coal trucks are expected to move daily. This would be in addition to the fly ash that will be moved out from the project site." This, the report says, is not appropriate from the environmental angle and such traffic through villages is not called for.

During the site visit, if was found that OPG's machinery such as cement mixers were stashed behind bushes. Concrete pits was also covered with mud, hiding the fact that the pits were dug for laying foundation. Photographs were also submitted to the representative as evidence of such steps.

Based on this report, the MoEF issued a show-cause notice to OPG on 15 December 2010, asking why the environment clearance should not be cancelled. The Ministry also instructed that status quo be maintained on the site, implying no further construction. OPG were to file their response within 15 days. Oddly, this apparently strong step includes some mixed signals. While issuing a show-casue notice threatening to cancel the whole project, MoEF has not put any of the ongoing steps on hold. The scrutiny of the application by the company to get CRZ clearance for the intake channel or pipeline will go ahead.

The final fate of Bhadreshwar and Randh Bander depends now on decisions made in corridors of power far from where the impacts will be felt. Already I regret not being able to witness the magic of the flamingoes on the coast. "Kunj," said a fisherman, "had not come this year. Next year perhaps", he added hopefully.
⊕

Kanchi Kohli
22 Feb 2011

Kanchi Kohli is based in New Delhi and a member of the Kalpavriksh Environmental Action Group.

Vibrant Gujarat? Your coast is not clear, Mr Adani

2011-02-17T16:05:00.000+05:30

KHAMISA ALI Mohammad squints against the glare of the sea, inspecting his fishing net. For the third time this season, ships sailing down the Kutch coast to India’s largest private port at Mundra have lacerated his fishing net. His earnings are down by more than 45,000 while industrialist Gautam Adani, who operates the port, has been ranked the seventh richest Indian on the Forbes list of billionaires — the only one from Ahmedabad.

The battle-weary fisherman is more sardonic than angry. “These companies will bring us development? These beggars who steal from us?” he asks.

Click on the picture below to read the full article in Tehelka magazine

http://tehelka.com/story_main48.asp?filename=Ne260211DEVELOPMENT_CONFLICTS.asp

Fishermen move HC against PGCIL’s embankment

2011-02-12T13:05:00.000+05:30

Express News Service Posted online: Sat Feb 12 2011, 03:39 hrs

Ahmedabad : Three fishermen from the region have moved the Gujarat High Court challenging the alleged bunding of the Surajbari Creek in Kutch district by the Power Grid Corporation of India Limited (PGCIL) to lay power transmission lines.

In a Public Interest Litigation, the three have demanded direction to the authorities concerned to ask PGCIL to remove the bunding and pay compensation for the damage done to the local wildlife and livelihood of the poor fishermen.

Acting on the PIL, a division bench on Friday issued notices to the respondents and kept it for further hearing on March 14. According to the petition filed through advocate Anand Yagnik, the issue relates to the Surajbari area near the Little Rann of Kutch, where the biggest creek of the area falls close to the Gulf of Kutch and the famous Wild Ass Sanctuary is located.

The creek has been a good ground for the production of fish and prawns by the local traditional, small, and registered fishermen community residing nearby Cheravadi village. The area is also habitat of some rare aquatic lives and lakhs of Flamingos.

According to the petition, to set up the towers for the transmission of the power from a plant in Mundra, PGCIL has blocked the natural flow of the Surajbari creek by making kutcha (temporary) wall there. This is done to save cost in laying the towers in the seawater instead of using the latest technologies. And this, the petitioners say, has resulted in the water in the creek drying, affecting the wildlife in the region and the livelihood of the local fishermen.

The petitioners have stated that the alleged act has been done in violation of environmental laws. They say the region falls under the Coastal Regulation Zone (CRZ) and PGCIL did not take the mandatory permission from the CRZ authorities to carry out any activity in the region.

They further said that their representation in this regard before the authorities concerned have gone in vain. They have also demanded compensation to the fishermen who have been affected by the alleged embankment.

Also see related post Rann villagers up ante over Power Grid construction

To sign an online petition to support the Kutch Fishworkers' demands, click on http://www.gopetition.com/petition/40325.html

Rann villagers up ante over Power Grid construction

2011-01-23T19:18:00.000+05:30

Express News Service Posted online: Mon Jan 10 2011, 04:33 hrs
Ahmedabad : Around 200 fishermen have submitted a memorandum to Kutch District Collector M Thennarasan over the construction of a kutcha wall on the creek near Surajbari in connection with the laying of grid lines for a power plant in Mundra. They have said the government agency — Power Grid Corporation is carrying on illegal work which threatens their livelihood and also violates environment laws.
Surajbari is located near the Little Rann of Kutch and the local fishing community at Cheravadi village has used this creek — the biggest in that area — for fisheries and prawn farming, for which the government has issued them licences.

Bharat Patel, general secretary of the Machhimar Adhikar Sangharsh Sangthan (MASS) said: “The power plant in Mundra is owned by the state government and will be run by a private company. Now, a government agency has started laying a kutcha wall on the side of the creek to set up the grid lines. This will affect the livelihood of the fishermen, because the wall construction will dry the other side of the creek, and make it impossible to carry on fishing activities.”

He added: “This wall has been constructed to prevent the entry of water in the creek area during high tides and also to cut down on costly technology for the transportation of construction material to lay the grid lines. This makes things easy and cost-effective for the power company, but has posed danger to the livelihood of the fishermen. This is in violation of the environment laws since the area falls under the Coastal Regulation Zone (CRZ) and mandatory permission is required before carrying out such activity in the creek area.”

In their memorandum, the fishermen said they have not been able to go fishing for at least 15-20 days due to the wall construction. Patel added that the district collector is yet to redress their complaint.

Thennarasan could not be contacted despite repeated attempts.

Patel said they will explore legal option if construction does not stop soon.

Gujarat High Court (HC) advocate, Anand Yagnik, who is providing them legal help, said if the issue is not resolved soon, they will move a petition in the HC.

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To sign an online petition to support the Kutch Fishworkers' demands, click on http://www.gopetition.com/petition/40325.html

Adani projects: Eating into the sea?

2011-01-07T21:16:00.000+05:30

The ports and Special Economic Zone (SEZ) being constructed by the Adani Group in Gujarat's Mundra is under the Environment Ministry's scanner after allegations that illegal construction in these have illegally reclaimed the fragile seashore. NDTV reports. Click on the image below to see the video.

Adani port: Damaging the coast

2011-01-06T14:35:00.000+05:30

One of India's infrastructure projects, the Mundra Port and Special Economic Zone, owned by the Adani group has been slapped with a show cause notice by the environment ministry for violating the CRZ notification. NDTV looks at the damage done. Click on the image to see the video. Read more at: http://www.ndtv.com/video/player/news/adani-port-damaging-the-coast/185246?cp

MoEF sends a showcause to Mundra Port and SEZ

2010-12-17T19:15:00.000+05:30

Proposed OPG power plant in Mundra also gets notice

Show cause notice to Mundra Port and SEZ and OPG power Project

Site visit report by Dr.A.Senthilvel, Additional Director, MoEF on Dec 6th, 7th, 2010

Express News Service Posted online: Fri Dec 17 2010, 00:11 hrs
Ahmedabad : Proposed OPG power plant in Mundra also gets notice
The Union Ministry of Environment and Forests has issued a showcause to the Mundra Port and Special Economic Zone (MPSEZ) located in Mundra taluka of Kutch district for violating the Coastal Regulation Zone notification of 1991 and asked state authorities to raze constructions that flout CRZ norms within four weeks.
The MoEF has also simultaneously issued showcause to OPG Power Gujarat Private Limited located in Mundra taluka, which is planning a 300-MW thermal power plant about 20 kms from the MPSEZ, for violation of the Environment Impact Assessment Notification, 2006.
The notices follow a site visit by additional director of the MoEF A Senthilvel on December 6 and 7 and the report he submitted.
The MoEF had earlier received several representations alleging violations of various environmental laws from Bharat Patel, general secretary of the Machikar Adhikar Sangharsh Sangathan, a local fishermen’s union.
The notice to the MPSEZ, operated by the Adani Group and valued at MoEF sends a showcause to Mundra Port and SEZ
Rs 29,610 crore in terms of market capitalisaion, lists several CRZ violations that include “large-scale” destruction of mangroves in different areas, blocking of creeks and tidal flow to mangrove areas, and building an airport, a township and a hospital without proper clearances.
The airport had obtained clearance from the Civil Aviation ministry, but had not obtained one from the MoEF, which is mandatory as per the CRZ notification.
The union ministry has asked the company to reply in 15 days failing which “appropriate orders as deemed fit will be passed under the circumstances of the case without any further notice”.
In addition, the union ministry has asked why several of the clearances already granted to the company by the Gujarat State Environment Impact Assessment should not be cancelled and why its own clearances should not be cancelled due to violation of conditions and why illegal constructions should not be dismantled to allow tidal flow.
The ministry also asked why a 1000-hectare mangrove afforestation drive in and around the project site should not be paid for by the MPSEZ.
The ministry has also directed the Gujarat Coastal Zone Management Authority to prepare a revised CRZ area for the site, superimpose it on a map of the existing area and thereafter remove or dismantle any construction that violates the CRZ norms within four weeks.
A spokesperson for the Adani Group said, “The work carried out at Mundra is in compliance with clearances. We are studying the issues raised by MoEF and will respond to them in due course of time. Operations at Mundra are normal.”
The MPSEZ has chalked out massive expansion plans, having signed an MoU with the Gujarat government during the Vibrant Gujarat summit 2009 to expand and develop multiple facilities at Mundra at an estimated cost of Rs 15,000 crore.
The proposed port facilities were expected to become operational in a phased manner from 2011 onwards.
The MPSEZ is the second port to be questioned by the MoEF. Earlier, the proposed Positra port plan had to be scrapped in April this year due to dangers it posed to the marine ecosystem in the Gulf of Kutch.

Fishermen up ante over proposed Kutch power plant

2010-12-03T14:49:00.000+05:30

The below article was published in the Indian Express, dated Dec 2nd, 2010.

Adam Halliday, Dec 2, 2010

Union Minister for Environment and Forests Jairam Ramesh has taken cognisance of the letters sent by the fishermen of Kutch in connection with the setting up of a power plant in the area.
The fishermen had stated in their letters that OPG Power Gujarat Private Limited, a subsidiary of the UK-based OPG Power Ventures PLC, had begun work on a 330 MW power plant before getting the required clearances.

In his reply to the letter, Jairam said: “Our information is that no actual project work has started yet. The company’s proposals are being examined by the Gujarat State Coastal Zone Management Authority which will make its recommendations after which a decision will be taken.”

He added: “You must get all the facts right before launching such a campaign. First, a 300 MW power plant needs no environmental approval from MoEF. Only 500 MW and above come to us for environmental approval. Secondly, this project has yet to come to MoEF for CRZ clearance.”

The fishermen, members of a local fishermen’s union, replied back saying the ground reality is different, and attached eight photographs of what they said are of the construction site. The pictures show earthmovers, bulldozers, trailers for the workers, a truck and building materials, all purportedly inside a barbed-wire fencing. They said the photographs were taken at the periphery of the OPG site, as the security guards prevented them from entering the core project area.

They said the company had received clearance from the Gujarat Pollution Control Board, but the CRZ Committee under MoEF had rejected the plans though the company had submitted fresh proposals.

The company had begun work on the plant without having obtained the Coastal Regulation Zone (CRZ) clearance — a violation of one of the conditions in the GPCB’s clearance.

“We would request you to send a Central team for field verification to ascertain the facts. The issues we have raised in the campaign and also written to the MoEF, pertain to OPG’s CRZ clearance and not the environment clearance per se,” the fishermen said.

“The core issue is that though OPG has received environmental clearance from the state government, it has not received CRZ clearance. But it has started construction on the ground, taking for granted that the CRZ committee will approve its proposal. Not only will it create a fait accompli for the CRZ committee, but is also a violation of one of the conditions of the environment clearance,” they wrote.

Company officials told The Indian Express that they are confident that the fresh submissions will cleared and so have begun work.

JUSTICE DELAYED : A crevasse in the regulatory environment

2010-11-30T16:38:00.000+05:30

With the formation of the Green Tribunal, its predecessor, the NEAA has ceased to exist. But the NGT is not fully ready to hear cases, and this has put the regulatory environment off-course. Kanchi Kohli reports.

India Together (http://indiatogether.org/)28 November 2010 - On 19 October, the Ministry of Environment and Forests (MoEF) issued a press release officially notifying the National Green Tribunal (NGT), with the appointment of Lokeshwar Singh Panta as the Chairperson of the body. The NGT Bill had cleared the parliament decks in April this year, after signficant debate and questioning, some of which continues to be unresolved.

For the MoEF, the idea behind such an overarching change has been to create a principal body, with circuit benches across the country, to judge and deliver verdicts on all matters related to and arising out of environmental issues. With initial assurances were that the NGT would be located in Bhopal, the Tribunal has eventually found its berth, like nearly every other institution of the national government, in the capital city itself.

The NGT is to consist of expert members from the fields of environmental and related sciences who are along with the judicial appointees empowered to issue directions for the compensation and restitution of damage caused from actions of environmental negligence. It would decide on a plethora of laws including those governing pollution, diversion of forest land for non-forest use as well environmental clearances. These laws have a huge bearing on all our lives, regulating the quality of the envrionment around us, and also deciding which industrial projects would be detrimental to the environment and therefore not to be established, alteast without adequate safeguards.

In addition the NGT also has authority to rule on grievances raised when a researcher or industry gets access to local biological material like a herb, seed or associated knowledge with it, without sharing benefits with the original conservers of that material or knowledge. The NGT has been presented as a pioneering step to a create an institution along the lines of those in existence in Australia and New Zealand.

NGT replaces NEAA, but is not ready

The "officialisation" of the NGT in October had its first impact immediately. With its nascent NGT in place, another institution ceased to exist - the 13-year-old staggering National Environment Appellate Authority (NEAA). This has been affirmed in the legislation that created the Tribunal, as well as by the Minister of the Environment, Jairam Ramesh. Until now, under the Environment Impact Assessment Notification, 2006, the NEAA has been the only forum available to those aggrieved by the grant of environmental clearances to challenge the same. Even with its lone member and seemingly endless problems, the Authority was a forum that did exist in functional terms (see this earlier article). The current situation is much worse - the country ceases to have an NEAA, but the NGT is far from ready to take its place.

Even the Rules for the functioning of the Tribunal are yet to be finalised, the expert members still to be appointed and the promised regional benches are yet to be located. These processes can take three months or more, a source in the Ministry indicated. In practical terms, what this means is that all the cases that were pending before the NEAA and were to be transferred to the NGT, are now on hold. Hearings that were nearly complete in the NEAA, with verdicts about to be delivered, have to be held all over again by the Tribunal. Other pending cases have not been heard for almost two months.

Moreover, there is confusion over how and where to challenge recent environmental clearances - those granted in the last 90 days. The NGT, just like the NEAA, allows 30 days from the grant of clearance or approval to bring it to the attention of the redressal body. Another 60 days are given if the applicant can prove that they have "sufficient cause" for delay. But with the NGT itself likely to take months to be ready, it is not clear how citizens can challenge any project that recently obtained clearance within this window. MoEF has not clarified this so far.

Each new case that falls through this crevasse will also impact future cases, as it will take months for the new Tribunal to clear the backlog.

A free pass to projects?

On the ground, the implications of the likely delays are serious. Take the case of OPG Power Gujarat Private Limited, which in June 2010 obtained environmental clearance from the State Environment Impact Assessment Authority (SEIAA) to set up a 300 MW thermal power plant; there were 121 conditions attached to the permission. OPG's trajectory through the clearance process had not been smooth, dating back to the time when the mandatory public hearing for the project first took place in May 2009. The was mass protests against the plant and its likely impact on the ecologically fragile Randh Bander fishing region (see this link).

Armed with several contentions, the local fisherfolk approached the NEAA along with the Machimar Adhikar Sangharsh Sangathan (MASS), an organisation working on livelihood and environment related issue in the Kutch coastal region. In September 2010, there was one hearing and then the case fell victim to the looming end of the NEAA, with the NGT yet to take its place. The appeal had raised several critical issues that point to misleading and inadequate data at the time the Environment Impact Assessment (EIA) was prepared and shared with the public in May 2009 during the public hearing. But none of this could be fully argued when the future of the hearings hung between the half-closed and half-open corridors of the two authorities.

Meanwhile, another envrionment clearance that was sought by the company - for the intake channel of the thermal power plant - was rejected by the Expert Appraisal Committee for Building Construction, Coastal Regulation Zone, Infrastructure Development and Miscellaneous projects, due to the likely negative impacts on the coastal environment.

But, in brazen disregard of both the pending case as well as the rejection of the CRZ clearance, the project authorities initiated construction of the project (see picture), with land-filling and cutting of trees. They have also announced a Bhoomi Pujan to ritually inaugurate the construction of the project. The lack of a functioning tribunal, thus, is turning into a free pass for project promoters who knows that there is no forum in place where their plans can be challenged.

The irony - tragedy, actually - is that while company officials move ahead confidently, the local fisherfolk opposing all this are left with no clear agency to approach with their concerns, with the NEAA now formally dead, and the NGT yet to be meaninfully alive. Justice delayed, for petitioners like them, may turn into justice denied.
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Kanchi Kohli
29 Nov 2010

Kanchi Kohli is based in New Delhi and a member of the Kalpavriksh Environmental Action Group.

No CRZ nod, but work begins on OPG plant

2010-11-29T08:00:00.000+05:30

The article below was published in the Indian Express, November 27, 2010.

Fishermen opposed to power plant in Kutch write to Jairam Ramesh, seeking urgent help

Adam Halliday, Nov, 27, 2010.

When OPG Power Gujarat Private Limited inaugurated its yet to be built 300 MW power plant at Bhadreshwar Village in Kutch District on Saturday, little did the company officials know that local fishermen had written Union Environment Minister Jairam Ramesh twice, pointing out that the company is breaking the law by beginning work before getting full clearance.

A company official said the "Bhoomi Pujan" (foundation laying ceremony) was held although they had not received all the clearances but added they have submitted fresh proposals that would eventually be accepted.

The clearance here refers to a CRZ (Coastal Regulation Zone) clearance that is yet to be obtained from the Union Ministry of Environment and Forests' Expert Appraisal Committee on Coastal Regulation Zone.

In July, the committee had rejected the OPG plans to build an open intake and outlet channel that would ferry seawater to cool the coal based power plant, saying it would adversely affect the marine ecosystem.

Although OPG later submitted proposals for a closed channel, minutes of the CRZ committee's meeting to date (the last one was held on November 9th) show that no go ahead has been given as yet, an anomaly that the fishermen pointed out to Jairam Ramesh's ministry in their first letter on November 21st.

They had also attached pictures of what they said were OPG's construction activities, such as tree felling, a cache of concrete presumably for future construction and square holes being dug, although the authenticity of these pictures could not be independently verified.

A company spokesperson based at Gandhidham in Kutch said, " We don’t have the CRZ clearance as yet, but we have submitted fresh proposals for a closed channel. We are sure that the CRZ committee would accept this. Besides, the channel would only be built two years from now, after the construction of the plant itself is finished,"

Interestingly, the Gujarat Pollution Control Board had cleared the 300 MW power plant on June 6th, 2010 laying down several conditions, one of which was that no construction should take place before all the requisite clearances were obtained.

"The project proponent shall not start any construction/project enabling activities unless and until environmental clearance as well as all requisite prior permissions/clearances are obtained. " the GPCB had said in its letter where it granted the company environment clearance.

But the fishermen's second letter to Ramesh, sent on November 25th, counters this argument, saying construction before clearance is illegal and that this could set a dangerous precedent if it is not stopped immediately.

"Unless the Ministry takes action on the OPG group for its blatant violation of environmental laws, the project proponent will be emboldened to continue with this mockery of environmental laws and this would be a precedent for other industries in the area to treat environment laws with a pinch of salt", the fishermen told Ramesh.

Where do we go? fishermen ask Jairam

In their letter, the fishermen have asked Jairam Ramesh as to which body they should appeal to now that the National Environment Appellate Authority has been disbanded and the National Green Tribunal has not yet begun operations.

The fishermen had approached the NEAA in August contesting the clearance the GPCB had given to OPG. The first hearing was held on September 24, in which the second hearing was scheduled for October 20th.

But on October 18th, two days before the hearing was supposed to have taken place, the NEAA was dissolved since the National Green Tribunal Bill 2010 was passed by parliament and would soon be setup.

Gathering Storm by the seaside

Of the several demonstrations against the OPG power plant, at least one turned violent in August 2009 and six men spent a month in jail. OPG officials, however, claim the opposition is confined to a small group of fishermen.

The locals, mainly fishermen and saltpan workers in the nearby villages who fear their fishing grounds and salt pans would be destroyed by the industrial activity, had taken out a procession at the public hearing for the plant in May last year as well.

But OPG officials claim at least 500 locals, including the company employees and employees of partner companies, had attended the Saturday inauguration ceremony where chhole batura, tea and coffee were served.

Local community seeks stay on activities of OPG power project in Bhadreshwar

2010-11-23T06:44:00.000+05:30

Representatives of fishworkers, salt pan workers, farmers and residents of Bhadreshwar village of Mundra Taluk, Kutch district have sought the urgent intervention of the Environment Minister on the construction of the 300 MW OPG power plant.

They have complained that that the project authority has undertaken construction of the project without requisite permissions and also cut several trees despite rejection of clearance for the intake channel for the power plant by the CRZ committee in July 2010.

The leaders have pointed out the delay in justice due to the non-functionality of the NEAA (National Environment Appellate Authority) since 18^th October 2010. They have filed a case before the NEAA challenging the environmental clearance to the OPG project on clear issues of process an and irreparable impacts. The livelihoods of the local communities and ecological concerns are at stake as the project authority has initiated construction of the project despite the pendency of the case before the relevant authority.

What is ironic is that there is delay in justice being delivered because it is now a month since the NEAA has been discontinued and we don't have a functional National Green Tribunal (NGT) wherein this matter needed to be transferred for hearing. If the project authorities are allowed to construct the project despite lack of all clearances and no appellate authority or tribunal for redressal, it will be gross injustice to the local concerns and livelihoods of traditional fisherfolk of the area and fragile coastal ecosystem. Fishermen are concerned that a fait accompli situation might arise by the time their appeal is heard before the relevant authority.

A Gujarat fishing system struggles for survival

2010-11-02T11:08:00.000+05:30

Adam Halliday, Indian Express : Tue Nov 02 2010, 06:11 hrs

Bhadreshwar : Near a small village named Bhadreshwar on the Kutch coast, an area almost the size of Gandhinagar disappears and reappears, twice a day. The Randh Bander — also called Mota Bander by the local fishermen because of its size — is a low-lying stretch of flat land that stretches for more than 20 km from east to west and 4 km from north to south (at its widest point). During high tide, seawater covers this entire area — sometimes as deep as 15 feet at some areas. During low tide, the mud is soft but hardy enough to walk on easily, although in some places one may sink till the ankles. It is here that about 650 fishermen’s families from Bhadreshwar and Luni villages have been practising what is called “pagadiya fishing” — where boats are not used but rather fishing is done on foot — for an estimated four centuries.

But the fishermen fear all this may disappear soon. They have been writing and protesting to local, state and Central authorities, including Union Environment and Forests Minister Jairam Ramesh, to stop industries from being set up nearby. One of the reasons is that they fear industrialisation in the vicinity would mean this ecosystem, and the livelihood it offers, will perish.

Pagadiya fishing is a simple affair. Fishermen walk far into the bander during low tide and erect nets upon sticks planted into the mud. As the high tide covers the bander, fish from the Arabian Sea swim onto the algae-rich area and feed there. As the water recedes during low tide and the fish with it, they get caught in these nets. All the fishermen have to do is walk upon the bander and collect them.

On an October afternoon, 42-year-old Osman Jamutar was planting a row of sticks on the mud to form a long and steady arch, busily tying a 400 m net to the sticks. Putting two fingers in between the weave of the nets, he explained the small fish could easily pass through it. “We make sure the small and baby fish escape so that the entire fish population does not die and it allows reproduction,” he said, adding that government agencies like Marine Product Export Development Agency were instrumental in spreading awareness about sustainable fishing.

Jamutar sets up this arching net twice every day, in the morning and afternoon. He goes home to his village and returns when the high tide has come and gone. He normally returns to a crowd of fish, caught in the nets. He wraps these up in the net itself, mounts them onto his bicycle and rides home, where his wife and the women in his family sort the catch and take them to the village market. The wives and female relatives of those pagadiya fishermen who have licenses from the Fisheries Department sell their catch in the towns nearby — Mundra, Adipur, Gandhidam and Anjar.

Pagadiya fishing is practised in villages Surajbari, Cherawadi, Navinad, Jarpara, Shekhadia, Luni, Bhadreshwar, Phirsangar, Wandhi, Lakhpat, Jakhau along the Kutch coast.

What kind of fish do they catch? Jamutar gives a long list: “Gandhia, Chhodi, Crabs, Khokri, Khagi, Khetar, Kunga, Bhufari, Serkhundra...”

As one steps onto the bander during low tide, one comes across crabs peeping from under the wet, sandy surface, tiger prawns burying themselves not far away, even several mangrove saplings.

Ibrahim Sale Manjalia, 61, bends down and runs his fingers over the mud to show a thin, green film over it — algae deposits. “The fish come and eat this,” he explains, and points to a shallow stream that runs from the land towards the ocean. “Those bring food for the fish from the land.”

Ibrahim spent a month in jail last year, as he was arrested with five others when protests against a proposed power plant near the village turned violent. He was one of the leaders of those protests, rallying villagers with songs he had composed.

The streams he shows are the lifeline of this ecosystem. Originating inland, they flow towards the Gulf and deposit minerals onto the mud of the bander, serving as feed for the fish, crabs and prawns that thrive there.

Building industries inland may result in these creeks getting blocked and cutting off this supply.

As we walk towards the Arabian Sea, we come across a V-shaped, 3 km long, 6 ft tall net being put up by three men and three women, hurrying to finish the entire length before sundown. This giant net, which the fishermen call “wall net”, will stand for eight months, unlike the shorter one that is set up and removed daily. When we ask the fishermen how much this “wall net” would catch, one of them answers reluctantly: “Maybe Rs 1,500 worth in one week.”

NO Thanks: Fisherfolk reject CSR package and say NO to Adani's KPGL power project in Bhadreshwar

2010-10-17T16:25:00.000+05:30

Fishermen and other members of the local community unanimously opposed the Adani group's KPGL power plant proposed in Bhadreshwar village, during the public hearing held on 6th October in Luni village. The fishermen and salt pan workers expressed their concerned about the harmful impact on marine ecology because KPGL is planning to use OPEN CYCLE (ONCE THROUGH COOLING SYSTEM), which is banned in several Western countries because of the excessive damage it causes to marine ecology.

It is relevant to note that the CRZ committee recently rejected a proposal for intake channel in the same area due to the likely impact on marine life, sand dunes and mangroves in Bhadreshwar coast. The KPGL power plant proposes to draw over 10-100 times more sea water than other power plants in the area and discharge nearly 5000 lakh litres / hour into the sea. This is in-spite of the MoEF expert committee’s recommendation to KPGL to try and reduce discharge to zero to minimise damage to marine ecology.

The Marine Environement Impact Assessment report which is very important to understand the likely impact of the proposed KPGL project on fishing, has not been submitted by KPGL. With such key information missing in the documents submitted for the public hearing, people cannot not have a complete idea of the project or the likely impact on our heath and livelihoods. It is meaningless to conduct a public hearing without providing basic and essential information to the public.

Experiences of local communities living in the vicinity of coal based power plants in other parts of Kutch coast show that pollution due to coal dust and fly ash are severe in summer months because of the dry climate and the direction of wind which is towards land. The air pollution could severely affect the fish drying process and salt production. Also, it would affect places of religious importance such as the world famous Jain Vasai teerth which is a pilgrimage centre of Jains located in Bhadreshwar.

Three-fourths of the entire stretch of the Mundra coast, especially the Central and West parts of the Mundra coast, have already been utilised for the purpose of construction of Mundra port and SEZ, CGPL, Adani power plants and desalination plants. Bhadreshwar Randh Bander is important not only for the fisherfolk from Bhadreshwar but also for the 1000+ families dependent on Traditional Fishing on the Mundra Coast.

It is to be noted that the 2600 MW OPG power project is also proposed in Bhadreshwar village right next to the KPGL project location. The cumulative impact of proposed projects on such a small stretch of ecologically fragile coast needs to be studied carefully before Environment clearance can be considered for the projects. Principles of Integrated coastal management need to be adhered to while deciding on the site for upcoming projects.

The above issues show that EIA study has not been done in a rigorous, systematic and genuine manner.

In order to appease the community, the Adani Foundation had offered a CSR package to the fishing community in the form of a 4 Crore package which includes a grant of Rs.10,000 per family, construction of toilets etc. This is hardly adequate to compensate the loss caused by the project to the fishing community. The annual fish catch in Bhadreshwar coast and nearby areas is estimated to be over Rs.20 Crores.

Rejecting these CSR measures as mere lollipops, which trivialized the issues of the fisherfolk, the fishing community unanimously opposed the KPGL project from coming up in Bhadreshwar.

Public hearing of Mundra SEZ witnesses unprecedented protests

2010-10-06T13:39:00.000+05:30

The environmental public hearing of the 7400 Cr Mundra SEZ, promoted by the Adani Mundra Port and SEZ limited witnessed unprecedented protests and lot of commotion. The local communities from over 14 villages unanimously opposed the project at the public hearing and raised issues vociferously and demanded explanations from the company. The situation was tense throughout the public hearing, which went on for over 5 hours.

The public hearing was held in a huge tent erected in the premises of Ganesh Temple in Luni village. The Kutch Additional collector, Shri.Gunvant Vaghela, chaired the hearing. Shri.Pancholi from the Gujarat Pollution Control Board started the procedure by welcoming everyone and explaining the purpose of the public hearing. After that, the company representatives made a presentation with details of the Category A project. The current proposal is related to phase 1 of the Mundra SEZ which covers an area of 8400 Ha. The activities proposed would include expansion of facilities such as road, electricity, railway line, airport, health and education infrastructure etc. Over the next 15 years the company plans to expand the SEZ over an area of 18,000 Ha. Sushma Oza of the Adani Foundation gave an overview of the activities of the Adani Foundation and the CSR activities proposed. The company gave assurances that ground water would not be utilized for the project and that fisherfolk will not be displaced as a result of the project.

Bikhabhai Nathu Ahir, on behalf of the agarias(traditional salt-pan workers) and the salt industry raised the issue that the project would severely affect the salt production in the area. He claimed that the GPCB is misguiding the people regarding the impact of industries on the salt industry and raised other issues related to the Mundra SEZ. The people present at the hearing strongly supported his views.

Amad Iliyas Manjaliya of Machimar Adhikar Sangharsh Sangathan, speaking on behalf of the traditional fishing community in the area, stated that the Mundra SEZ sounds the death knell for the fishermen in the area, who are already facing several problems due to the Mundra Port and SEZ. Several other leaders, including Vishram Gadhvi (farmers’ representative), Mahendra Gadhvi (Bhujpur Village Sarpanch), Jiveesinh Jadeja (Samagoga village Sarpanch), Kumbhar Umar Mamad (Bhadreshwar village Sarpanch), Valjibhai Taparia (Zarpara village Sarpanch), Pradyumansinh Jadeja (Zilla Panchayat President), Kara Hussein Salemamad (Kutch Zilla Mchimar ssociation) and other leaders opposed the project and raised several serious issues and demanded for the cancellation of the public hearing.

The local community representatives expressed their view that the Additional Collector, Shri. Vaghela and GPCB’s Shri.Pancholi were taking sides with the company and speaking in the company’s favour. Hearing this, Shri.Vaghela, the Additional collector lost his temper and stepped down from the stage and had a heated argument with the community leaders and even used abusive words. Seeing the worsening situation, police officials rushed to the scene and tried to keep the situation under control. The commotion lasted for over an hour. Seeing the manner in which the officials behaved, several people walked out of the public hearing shouting that the meaningless drama of public hearing be put to an end.

Women from the affected villages also rushed to the stage and shouted slogans against the project and argued with the officials. Lady police officers had to intervene and tried to keep the situation under control. At this point, there was so much commotion that hardly anything was audible to the people present in the public hearing.

After a large number of people walked out, panchayat members and leaders requested people to be seated and allow the public hearing to continue. Malay Mahadevia, Director of Mundra SEZ, stated that fishermen will be provided access through certain parts of the SEZ and also CSR activities will be undertaken in consultation with the local community.

The people from Zarpara village had tied tender coconuts to the roof of the public hearing venue to show how small these had become due to the pollution caused by the Adani group’s activities in the area. They also displayed photographs of indiscriminate mangrove destruction by the Adani group in the area. The Samagoga Sarpanch explained with the help of satellite images, the extent of mangrove destruction and blocking of creeks in the area.

On behalf of the fishing community, Amad Iliyas Manjaliya of Machimar Adhikar Sangharsh Sangathan(MASS) and Kara Hussein Mamad of Kutch Zilla Machimar Association submitted a comprehensive memorandum running into over 1100 pages, which scientifically listed the issues related to the Mundra SEZ .

Upon conclusion of the public hearing, it was announced that the public hearing of the proposed Kutch Power Generation Limited power plant in Bhadreshwar, will be held on 6th October in Luni.