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Fishing communities all over Tamil Nadu are up in arms against the ambitious Sethusamudram Ship Canal Project (SSCP) that, they claim, will destroy their livelihood
As dredging the sea bed continues near the coastline at Point Calimere, the fishing community here has stepped up its protest against the Sethusamudram Ship Canal Project (SSCP). They claim the project, which proposes creating a navigable route between India and Sri Lanka linking the Palk Strait with the Gulf of Mannar by excavating and dredging a 80 km channel through the shallow sea bed, has already begun destroying their livelihood. Fishermen in Serudur, Kameswaram, Pushpavanam and Jegadapattinam allege they have lost around 50 fishing nets, valued at several lakhs of rupees, during the dredging operations.
Although the government insists the project was approved after extensive research was done to show that it would not damage the ecosystem or destroy the livelihoods of the people concerned, environmentalists too are concerned that the SSCP will cause incalculable damage to the region's marine ecology. They say the dredging will destroy coral reefs, and, in the process, endanger many species of marine animals, sea grass meadows and seaweed that, in turn, affect the lives of hundreds of thousands of fisher folk in the area.
The canal is expected to reduce the distance between India's east and west coasts, saving ships the time they take to circumnavigate Sri Lanka.
An official of Sethusamudram Corporation Limited, which is entrusted with the task of dredging the channel, says it will not be possible for fishermen to cast their nets within the navigable area -- that is, the entire stretch of the channel. "To that extent, for about 167 km, starting from Adam's Bridge to the Bay of Bengal, for a width of 0.3 km, about 51 sq km of the total area will not be available for casting nets," he says.
This means the affected fishermen will have to find an alternative means of livelihood. Angry fishermen are organising rallies and protest marches to draw attention to the issue.
On August 12, around 1,500 fishermen and activists from all over the state of Tamil Nadu gathered at the fishing hamlet of Arcottuthurai, near Point Calimere, and attempted to block the dredging vessel with their fishing boats. The situation became tense when several hundred policemen formed a human wall on the shore to prevent the fishermen from getting into their boats. Coast guard vessels were also pressed into service.
The fishermen are now planning to blockade Tuticorin harbour with their boats, once the global tenders for the project have been opened. They are not only demanding the scrapping of the SSCP, they are also voicing their concerns about other issues like the Tamil Nadu government's plan to evict fishermen living within 200 metres of the high tide line (ostensibly to protect them against future tsunamis), garnet sand mining in coastal areas and illegal coral mining in the Gulf of Mannar.
People in Sri Lanka too have opposed the project; they are concerned about its impact on the environment and the livelihoods of fishermen. "The Sethusamudram project could affect important ecosystems and coral reefs. Dredging the canal will stir up dust and toxins that lie beneath the sea bed and adversely affect the coral," says Dr Ruchira Cumaratunga of the University of Ruhuna in Sri Lanka who is also on the Sri Lanka committee for the Sethusamudram project.
She adds: "Further, an upsurge of coastal currents due to the Sethusamudram project could lead to higher tides and to more energetic waves, and result in coastal erosion. As a result, harbours and coastal structures that have been built with designs based on present ocean dynamics may become vulnerable."
According to India's Minister for Shipping, Road Transport and Highways T R Baalu, adequate care is being taken with the Sethusamudram Ship Canal Project to ensure minimal environmental impact. Dispelling apprehensions about the possibility of a reduction in fish breeding and fish catch, he said that modelling studies done by the Nagpur-based National Environmental Engineering Research Institute (NEERI) showed that the project would not affect primary productivity.
Source:Frontline, September 9, 2005
IANS, August 16, 2005
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