Government of India has come out with a gigantic and consolidated 'Sagarmala' national perspective plan to execute nearly 400 different projects along the coastline at a whopping cost of 8 lakh cores (lac crore rupees) in the next two decades. This includes constructing massive ports, augmenting coastal infrastructure, developing inland waterways, intensifying dee-sea fishing, and creating special economic zones and tourism promotion. |
Peoples' Movement Against Enayam ICTT has been mobilising with other EJOs against the Enayam port project in Tamil Nadu, India to avoid that around 50,000 fisher families in the region face displacement, loss of jobs and livelihood and marginalisation.
Description:
Basic Data
| Name of conflict: | ENAYAM International Container Transshipment Terminal (PMAEICTT), India |
| Country: | India |
| State or province: | Kanyakumari District, Tamil Nadu |
| Location of conflict: | Between Helen Nagar and Melakurumbanai villages, Colachel and Enayam |
| Accuracy of location | MEDIUM (Regional level) |
Source of Conflict
| Type of conflict. 1st level: | Infrastructure and Built Environment |
| Type of conflict. 2nd level: | Ports and airport projects Transport infrastructure networks (roads, railways, hydroways, canals and pipelines) Thermal power plants Aquaculture and fisheries |
| Specific commodities: | Biological resources Fish |
Project Details and Actors
| Project details | The proposed major port is located in between Enayam and Colachel (Helen Nagar to Melakurumbanai village) at Kanyakumari District at a distance of 14NM from East-West International Shipping Route. The proposal envisages construction of breakwaters, dredging- reclamation, container berths with provision for addition of multi-purpose/dry bulk berths. The draft at the harbour is proposed at 16m capable of handling 18000 TEU capacity container vessels and cape size coal vessels. [2] |
| Project area: | 108,000 |
| Level of Investment for the conflictive project | 4,402,440,000 |
| Type of population | Rural |
| Affected Population: | 300,000 |
| Start of the conflict: | 01/07/2016 |
| Company names or state enterprises: | Kanyakumari Enayam Port Ltd. from India |
| Relevant government actors: | Central government of India; Ministry of Environment and Forests |
| Environmental justice organizations (and other supporters) and their websites, if available: | People's Movement Against ENAYAM International Container Transshipment Terminal (PMAEICTT) National Fishworkers' Forum of India http://www.nffindia.org https://www.facebook.com/NFFIndia/ Coastal Action Network http://humanrightsfoundation.org.in/new/?p=407 Tamil Research Institute http://www.tamilri.com/about-us/ http://www.tamilri.com/enayam-port/ Other supporting groups and EJOs coming together in Tamil Nadu Coastal Yatra for Bigger Protests in July 2017 (https://www.facebook.com/permalink.php?id=1887343038180434&story_fbid=1889479531300118): Aazhkadal Meenpidi Thozhilaalar Sangham Vangakadal Meenpidi Thozhilaalar Sangham Ramanathapuram Fishworkers Trade Union (RFTU) National Alliance of People's Movement (NAPM) https://napmindia.wordpress.com People's Movement Against Nuclear Energy (PMANE) |
Conflict & Mobilization
| Intensity | HIGH (widespread, mass mobilization, violence, arrests, etc...) |
| Reaction stage | PREVENTIVE resistance (precautionary phase) |
| Groups mobilizing: | Farmers Local ejos Local government/political parties Neighbours/citizens/communities Social movements Trade unions Women Religious groups Fisher people |
| Forms of mobilization: | Artistic and creative actions (eg guerilla theatre, murals) Creation of alternative reports/knowledge Development of a network/collective action Development of alternative proposals Lawsuits, court cases, judicial activism Objections to the EIA Official complaint letters and petitions Public campaigns Street protest/marches Hunger strikes and self immolation Human chains |
Impacts
| Environmental Impacts | Potential: Air pollution, Biodiversity loss (wildlife, agro-diversity), Floods (river, coastal, mudflow), Food insecurity (crop damage), Loss of landscape/aesthetic degradation, Soil erosion, Deforestation and loss of vegetation cover, Surface water pollution / Decreasing water (physico-chemical, biological) quality, Large-scale disturbance of hydro and geological systems, Reduced ecological / hydrological connectivity, Other Environmental impacts |
| Other Environmental impacts | Sea erosion/accretion, negative impact on Western Ghats (one of the UNESCO World Heritage Sites as a very important biodiversity hotspot), marine biodiversity and rich fishery resources, riverine ecosystem, coral reefs and turtle nesting sites as well as damage on sand dunes and increased risks of tsunami and storms |
| Health Impacts | Potential: Malnutrition |
| Socio-economical Impacts | Potential: Displacement, Lack of work security, labour absenteeism, firings, unemployment, Loss of livelihood, Loss of traditional knowledge/practices/cultures, Violations of human rights, Land dispossession, Loss of landscape/sense of place, Other socio-economic impacts |
| Other socio-economic impacts | Potential loss of jobs in small-scale fisheries, displacement and marginalisation of large number of traditional fisherfolk, farmers and their families |
Outcome
| Project Status | Planned (decision to go ahead eg EIA undertaken, etc) |
| Conflict outcome / response: | Under negotiation |
| Proposal and development of alternatives: | Improving facilities in other major ports and removing the Enayam Port Project [4, 5] |
| Do you consider this an environmental justice success? Was environmental justice served?: | Not Sure |
Sources & Materials
| Juridical relevant texts related to the conflict (laws, legislations, EIAs, etc) |
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| References to published books, academic articles, movies or published documentaries |
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| Related media links to videos, campaigns, social network |
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Meta information
| Contributor: | Irmak Ertor, ENVJUSTICE, ICTA, UAB |
| Last update | 18/08/2019 |
| Conflict ID: | 3178 |
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