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Published on
January 9, 2020
January 9, 2020
Updated on
June 21, 2022
January 9, 2020
Adani Group has invested INR 53,031 crore in the Kattupalli Port on the outskirts of Chennai to expand its existing capacity. The fisherfolk in the area have opposed the move citing a threat to their livelihood and have demanded scrapping of the project. The Kattupalli Port was initially built and owned by Larsen and Toubro. Adani Ports acquired it in June 2018 and renamed it Adani Katupalli Port Private Limited.
The port has been spilling oil into the sea since it started operations in January 2012. Now, “expansion operations will require further reclamation of the sea, resulting in more oil spill. This will force the fisherfolk to go for deep-sea fishing, which many of them cannot afford. The project will also displace around 33,000 people, and, if the ecosystem is affected, it might pose a threat to Chennai's groundwater as well,” Xavier Benedict told Land Conflict Watch. Benedict works with the AARDE Foundation, which works for the promotion and conservation of wetlands.
According to a news report, thousands of families depend on fishing in the sea and backwaters in the proposed expansion area. They fear that their relocation will affect their livelihood as they would have to spend more time to commute to the seashore.
People and activists have also opposed the port expansion on environmental grounds. The proposed expansion work requires reclamation of 2,000 acres of land inside the sea and its adjoining areas, including Ennore-Pulicat backwaters, which Adani plans to do by dumping dredged sand from the Palar river. The backwaters and wetlands play a pivotal role in protecting their surrounding area from floods. The filling up of these natural bodies will expose most parts of North Chennai and its neighbouring areas to floods.
The Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change granted the Terms of Reference for the expansion of the port in July 2019 after a three-member team appointed by the ministry’s Environment Assessment Committee submitted its report to the Expert Appraisal Committee in June. But the expansion has been in limbo after a public hearing on the proposal was indefinitely postponed owing to Covid-19. The company has not filed a fresh application for a public hearing so far, according to activists.
On January 31, 2022, Pulicat fishers staged a protest seeking permanent jobs at the port as their traditional fishing activities have been badly hit because of the Kamarajar and Adani ports. They also sought the scrapping of the Kattupalli port expansion plan.
Speaking to LCW, environmental activist Nityanand Jayaraman, who has been at the forefront of the campaign against the project, said, "If the government wants to revoke the no- objection certificate, it can do so based on the fact that the coastal area is fast eroding. But why the government has not done this is not clear".
Complaint against procedural violations
Opposition against environmental degradation
Scrapping of the project
Rural
Common
Non-Forest (Other than Grazing Land)
Total investment involved (in Crores):
₹
53000
Type of investment:
Investment Made
Year of Estimation
Page Number In Investment Document:
5
Has the Conflict Ended?
No
When did it end?
Why did the conflict end?
Categories of Legislations Involved in the Conflict
Environmental Laws
Legislations/Policies Involved
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Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.
Whether claims/objections were made as per procedure in the relevant statute
What was the claim(s)/objection(s) raised by the community?
What was the Decision of the Concerned Government Department?
Legal Processes and Loopholes Enabling the Conflict:
Forced evictions/dispossession of land
Violation of environmental laws
Legal Status:
Out of Court
Status of Case In Court
Whether any adjudicatory body was approached
Name of the adjudicatory body
Name(s) of the Court(s)
Case Number
Main Reasoning/Decision of court
Major Human Rights Violations Related to the Conflict:
Whether criminal law was used against protestors:
Reported Details of the Violation:
Date of Violation
Location of Violation
Nature of Protest
Protests/marches
Government Departments Involved in the Conflict:
Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change
PSUs Involved in the Conflict:
Did LCW Approach Government Authorities for Comments?
Name, Designation and Comment of the Government Authorities Approached
Corporate Parties Involved in the Conflict:
Adani Ports and SEZ Ltd
Did LCW Approach Corporate Parties for Comments?
Communities/Local Organisations in the Conflict:
Fisherfolk, environmental activists, AARDE Foundation
Image Credit:
Image Credit:
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