Protests are continuing in Kerala infamous for turning their face against industrialists opening up new opportunities in the state. The Rs 7,525-crore Vizhinjam International Transhipment Deepwater Multipurpose Seaport project has come to a standstill by Adani Ports near Thiruvananthapuram. the protest is led by priests of the Latin Archdiocese, the local fisherfolk from the nearby coastal hamlets.
The Kerala government has been holding deliberations over the seven-point charter of demands put forth by the representatives of protesting fisherfolk. The demands include conducting a coastal impact study of the multi-crore projects and the stoppage of construction work at the site in the interim. The government has, for now, put the work on hold for now.
The protesters claim that coastal erosion in the district has been increasing due to the unscientific construction of groynes, the artificial sea walls known as “pulimutt’ in local parlance, as part of the upcoming Vizhinjam port. According to reports, protesters have expressed their concerns about around 500 houses and many boats being destroyed on the Veli-Panathura coastal stretch in Thiruvananthapuram ever since the construction work on the project began in December 2015.
On Friday, fisherfolk from four nearby hamlets, including Pallam and Adimalathura, staged protests on Friday
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