Tag: Vizhinjam seaport area

Sea Port Construction Resumes at Vizhinjam

A large number of fisherfolk had been staging demonstrations outside the main entrance of the multi-purpose sea port at Mulloor near Thiruvananthapuram for over four months.

Thiruvananthapuram: With the fisherfolk calling off their over 130-day-long agitation, for now, against the Vizhinjam sea port here two days ago, construction resumed there on Thursday, December 8, with trucks full of material rolling into the project site.

Visuals of the project site shared by a source in Adani Group showed the trucks loaded with construction materials rolling in and the surrounding area being devoid of protestors who were camped there for over four months.

The agitation was called off on Tuesday, and on the next day, the protesters informed the Kerala high court that the tent set up at the protest site outside the port was being removed.

The submission was made during hearing of a plea moved by Adani Group for contempt action against the protesters for not complying with the court’s orders to not obstruct the way to the project site.

With the agitation being called off and the protesters assuring to remove the tent at the protest site, the high court had closed the contempt pleas.

Subsequently, on Thursday, the construction work commenced at the port and the source said that the barge movement will start soon and in a few days it will be working at full swing.

The priority would be given to completing the construction of the 2,960 metres long breakwater, of which around 1,400 metres have been completed, the source said.

Piling required for berth construction, main power sub-station, port operation building, gate complex, workshop and a third of the port approach road – including two bridges forming part of it – stood completed, the source added.

The source also said that 60% of the reclamation for backyard construction has also been completed.

The over four-month long protest was called off on Tuesday after discussions between the leaders of the agitation and chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan.

A large number of fisherfolk had been staging demonstrations outside the main entrance of the multi-purpose sea port at Mulloor near Thiruvananthapuram for over four months.

They had been pressing for their seven-point charter of demands that include stopping the construction work and conducting a coastal impact study in connection with the multi-crore project.

The agitators had been alleging that the unscientific construction of groynes, the artificial sea walls as part of the upcoming port, were some of the reasons for the increasing coastal erosion.

The protesters had attacked Vizhinjam police station on the night of November 27, injuring several policemen.

(PTI)

No Objection to Deployment of Central Forces at Vizhinjam Port, Kerala Govt Tells HC

The state government’s submission to the court comes in the wake of a petition filed by the Adani Group alleging that the Kerala government is failing to comply with the court’s earlier orders to provide police protection at the site.

New Delhi: The Kerala government has told the Kerala high court that it has no objection to the deployment of the central forces in the Vizhinjam seaport area, where construction work has stalled for over three months due to protests by local fishermen, Indian Express reported.

The state government’s submission to the court comes in the wake of a petition filed by the Adani Group – the developer of the seaport – alleging that the Kerala government is failing to comply with the court’s earlier directive that ordered police protection be provided at the construction site for the work to go on. The court, several times in the past, had pulled up the Kerala government for not being able to provide police protection in the project area.

The Adani Group, in its petition, drew the attention of the court to the last week’s violence at the Vizhinjam seaport construction site, in which 36 policemen and 20 fishermen sustained injuries. The November 28 clash between police and protestors led to the registration of cases against 3,000 ‘identifiable persons’.

Referring to the violence, the Adani Group alleged that the state police is helpless in maintaining law and order while expressing doubts that the state government may have its own reasons not to comply with the court’s earlier directive to provide police protection. The Adani Group against this backdrop called for the deployment of central forces to ensure that the work at the construction is not affected.

Responding to the petitioner’s submission, the Kerala government said it has no objection to the deployment of central forces in the project area while also offering that state police would be able to protect law and order outside the project area.

At this juncture, the high court directed the state government to get in touch with the Union home ministry on the matter and asked it to submit a report by December 7 when the matter would be taken up for hearing again. The state government said it will duly carry out deliberations with the Union home ministry on the deployment of central forces at the project area.

On the last week’s violence, the state government told the court that cases were registered against those responsible. However, it said it cannot remove the tent pitched by the agitators near the construction site without firing. It said any haste in proceeding against protestors would only result in firing, which it said the state government would not be willing to resort to.

The previous directive from the high court to the Kerala government on September 1 had called the police to give necessary protection for providing free ingress and egress for carrying out the necessary activities in connection with the project. In the event of the state government failing to do so, the court had back then said it should seek necessary assistance from the Union government.