Vizhinjam protest against Adani port called off after 138 days

Govt has already told agitators that construction work won't be stopped, but is said to have accepted all their demands

Protests by fisherfolk against the Adani Vizhinjam International Seaport project were called off on Tuesday, after a span of 138 days.

The government has already informed the protestors that construction work at the port site will not be stopped. It has reportedly accepted all the demands of the protestors. A monitoring committee was formed with the chief secretary as its head to ensure that all the demands of the protestors are met.

Fr Eugene Pereira, a face of the anti-port struggle in Vizhinjam, said that people have not been informed about the coastal erosion likely to be caused by the implementation of project. He added that if the study by the government reveals the extent of impact on the area, the protests will continue. The government today agreed to pay Rs 5,500 a month to all those who lost their houses due to coastal erosion in the region.

The protestors led by the Latin Archdiocese had been demanding a stoppage of all construction work by Adani Vizhinjam Port. Their demands included a scientific study to assess the impact of the construction work on the coastline, relocation to relief camps of those who lost their houses, and a suitable rehabilitation package for their sustenance. They also demanded subsidised kerosene supply for boats.

Experts say about 30 per cent of global cargo is moving through the southern tip of India. Vizhinjam has a natural depth of 18.4 metres one km from the coast, which is even good enough to handle the world’s largest mother vessel of 24,500 TEUs (twenty-foot equivalent units).