Expert appraisal committee inspects Ennore port

The two-member team included K Gowrappan and A Varman Acharya from EAC accompanied by Sundar, an official from MOEF&CC’s regional office and a representative from the Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board (TNPCB).

Pooja Kumar, researcher, Coastal Resource Centre (CRC), who was present during the site inspection on Friday, in Ennore, said that the members from EAC accorded them a patient hearing. “This was a sub-committee of the EAC of MOEF&CC, while considering the proposal of stage three masterplan of Kamarajar Port, a controversial proposal, which looks to develop more than 1,000 acres of the creek.

The team met Kamarajar Port officials in the morning and at 4 pm, they interacted with us and the fisher folk. We showed the EAC members the areas where past violations had occurred and encroachments were also pointed out.

The team was also apprised of the fraudulent map which was used to grant clearances and urged that the 1996 Coastal Zone Management Plan used to accord future clearances for developmental projects in the region,” said the activist.

Ennore fisher folk and activists had written to the EAC, when the project was under consideration, following which, a site inspection was ordered in December and the proposal deferred. The proposal envisages the conversion of wetlands into lands for real estate, which was stiffly opposed by the residents. “The team asked a lot of questions and even accepted the written objections that we had submitted,” said Pooja.

The site inspection comes days after residents of Ennore entered the waters of the Kosasthalaiyar river, protesting the industrial encroachment in their eco-sensitive area.

Srinivasan RL, a fisherman from Kattukuppam, who was present during the interaction with EAC members, said, “We had appealed to all the officials of all levels from the Revenue Divisional Officer (RDO) to the Collector.

None of them responded, even as our livelihoods were destroyed and the residents suffered due to the encroachment and pollution caused by the Port and the other power plants in the vicinity. The site inspection is a huge victory for the residents, that our voices and livelihoods are considered, before clearance is granted to a proposal.”