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Kerala HC orders removal of tents erected by protesters outside Vizhinjam seaport
Hearing a contempt petition filed by Adani Group, promoters of the country’s first mother ship project terminal, the court said the ongoing work should not be disrupted at any cost and complaints regarding the project can be raised at appropriate forums.
The Kerala high court on Friday directed the state government to demolish protest tents pitched outside the under-construction Vizhinjam port, which had blocked the entrance of the project.
Hearing a contempt petition filed by Adani Group, promoters of the country’s first mother ship project terminal, the court said the ongoing work should not be disrupted at any cost and complaints regarding the project can be raised at appropriate forums.
On August 29, the high court had directed the government to provide security and ensure that work was not disrupted but Adani had moved the court again on Friday saying the state had “failed to meet the order and work remained disrupted”.
The group had insisted that the “ongoing protest was a threat to its employees and police had failed to take action” against protesters. It said large tents put up by protesters were blocking the entrance and work was disrupted for about two months. The court then directed the government to remove tents immediately.
Latin Archdiocese which is spearheading the protest of fishermen said it will take a decision after taking a legal opinion. “We will take a decision after consulting our lawyers,” said convener of the protest Eugine H Pereira.
The work was disrupted after fishermen took to streets alleging that the “upcoming project affected their livelihood”.
Later, they raised a seven-point charter to end their agitation. First was to stall all the works and conduct a fresh environment impact study, second immediate rehabilitation of affected families, third effective steps to mitigate sea erosion and tetrapod sea walls along coast, fourth financial help to them when weather warnings are issued, fifth more kerosene at subsidised rate, sixth compensation to the dead and those who lost their boats and nets and finally controlled dredging near Muthalapozhy which led to many mishaps. Though the government held a series of talks it failed to find a way out with protesters.
Meanwhile, the government constituted a four-member expert committee onFriday to study the impact of port construction on the coast.The committee will be chaired by M D Kudale, former additional director, central water and power research station, Pune. But protesters said they will not co-operate with the committee as no one from fishing community was part of it.
