At Bhadreshwar, the clock is ticking

India Together (http://www.indiatogether.org/2011/feb/env-opg.htm)

The OPG group's plans to build a massive thermal power plant on the ecologically sensitive coast have been dealt a setback by the Ministry of Environment and Forests. But a final decision is still to be made. Kanchi Kohli reports.

22 February 2011 - As we walked along Randh Bander talking to the few fishing families who were the last ones to head towards their village for a community festival, we heard determination and distress at the same time. Smiles surrounded the sunset at the traditional fishing harbour, and conversations as easy as mending nets, anchoring boats and bringing in small fish catch for dinner. But there was also worry, and a strong will among the people to conserve their coastline and protect their fishing livelihoods.

Bhadreshwar is considered to be the second largest fish production centre on the Kutch coast in Gujarat. It is estimated that nearly 6000 fisherfolk from Bhadreshwar, Luni, Tuna and Sangad villages have been using the Bander for traditional fishing for over 200 years. Boat fishing is carried out upto 10 km from the coast and pagadiya (on foot) fishing is carried out on a 10-km stretch along the coast (5 km on each side of the Bander).

A recent National Assessment of Shoreline Change showed the Bhadreshwar coast in red - meaning that it is eroding rapidly, with rising risks of frequent and destructive flooding, compromised water supplies and smaller or fewer beaches. The assessment was carried out by Institute of Ocean Management, Anna University, Chennai, as part of a first-of-its-kind shoreline mapping initiative sponsored by the Ministry of Environment and Forests (MoEF).



Steamrolling the regulations

I have written earlier in India Together (read Environment clearance: A sham again) about procedural flaws and irreversible environmental impacts due to the construction of a thermal power plant by OPG Power Gujarat Private Limited (a Special Purposed Vehicle (SPV) promoted by the OPG Group, based in Chennai), along this fragile coast.

The company made only limited disclosures to the locals and the state environment authorities of its plans to set up a 300 (2x150) MW plant. And without waiting for approval at the state level, the company, OPG simultaneously sought approval from the MoEF to expand this original plants from 300 to 2600 MW. It was only after the local group Machimar Adhikar Sangharsh Samiti (MASS) brought this to the notice of MoEF that the ministry rejected the company's application.

Meanwhile, the environment clearance given for the first phase (300 MW) was challenged before the National Environment Appellate Authority (NEAA). The primary contention was that the mandatory public hearings for the project were not carried out. The company claimed it had met its obligations to informa the local people fully, but this was disputed by the locals themselves. Unfortunately, before this could be sorted out the NEAA itself was wound up, leaving the matter in limbo (see A crevasse in the regulatory environment) .

All of this didn't stop the company from announcing its Bhoomi Puja in November 2010. The state government's clear directions that "the project proponent shall not start any construction/project-enabling activities unless and until environmental clearance as well as all requisite prior permissions/clearances are obtained" was simply ignored.

Recent developments

In July last year, the company suffered a setback; its proposal to build an intake channel to the thermal power plant was rejected by MoEF's Expert Appraisal Committee (EAC) for Building Construction, Coastal Regulation Zone, Infrastructure Development and Miscellaneous projects in July 2010. The committee felt that the coastal environment would be negatively impacted by the construction of an open channel, and instead suggested that OPG could consider the construction of a pipeline instead, to provide for water requirements of the 300 MW plant.

The construction of the expanded plant itself would still need to be reviewed by the EAC; and so would the proposal for a pipeline, if that option is chosen. The company was also directed to seek recommendations for a revised proposal from the Gujarat State Coastal Zone Management Authority.

The EAC met again on 14-15 February 2011, to once again discuss the intake and outflow for the thermal power plant, as required under the rules for construction in the Coastal Regulation Zone. The agenda of the meeting does not specify what was discussed - a pipeline or an open channel - and there continues to be mixed news from anonymous sources on whether or not the EAC recommended approval of the company's proposal.

Site inspection reveals violations

Meanwhile, responding to a series of tireless submissions, memoranda and requests from the local struggle groups, fisherfolk as well as media outcry, one MoEF representative visited the Bhadreshwar coast for a site inspection in December 2010. In his site inspection report A Senthilvel, Additional Director, MOEF remarked that the site is fenced by barbed wires and also cleared of vegetation. With regards to the site for intake channel, the report observed that the intertidal area is more than 2-3 kms, which is large. Further, "the entire stretch is a mud flat, which is highly biologically protective. The coastal waters are known for Bombay duck fishery. The fish catch was also seen in abundance."

This report also highlighted the fact that the Environment Impact Assessment (EIA) for the project, based on which the environment clearance was granted did not cover a very crucial aspects of the poor road conditions in the area and the huge impacts of the movement of coal in the region.

To quote the report, "the imported coal is proposed to be transported from Mundra port, which is 25 km from the site and Kandla Port, which is 48 km. The indigenous coal would be brought by ship to the port or by road or by railway line. As per the information provided the coal would be transported from these ports through covered trucks. As per the information about 150 to 200 coal trucks are expected to move daily. This would be in addition to the fly ash that will be moved out from the project site." This, the report says, is not appropriate from the environmental angle and such traffic through villages is not called for.

During the site visit, if was found that OPG's machinery such as cement mixers were stashed behind bushes. Concrete pits was also covered with mud, hiding the fact that the pits were dug for laying foundation. Photographs were also submitted to the representative as evidence of such steps.



Based on this report, the MoEF issued a show-cause notice to OPG on 15 December 2010, asking why the environment clearance should not be cancelled. The Ministry also instructed that status quo be maintained on the site, implying no further construction. OPG were to file their response within 15 days. Oddly, this apparently strong step includes some mixed signals. While issuing a show-casue notice threatening to cancel the whole project, MoEF has not put any of the ongoing steps on hold. The scrutiny of the application by the company to get CRZ clearance for the intake channel or pipeline will go ahead.

The final fate of Bhadreshwar and Randh Bander depends now on decisions made in corridors of power far from where the impacts will be felt. Already I regret not being able to witness the magic of the flamingoes on the coast. "Kunj," said a fisherman, "had not come this year. Next year perhaps", he added hopefully.
⊕

Kanchi Kohli
22 Feb 2011

Kanchi Kohli is based in New Delhi and a member of the Kalpavriksh Environmental Action Group.

A Gujarat fishing system struggles for survival

Adam Halliday, Indian Express : Tue Nov 02 2010, 06:11 hrs

Bhadreshwar : Near a small village named Bhadreshwar on the Kutch coast, an area almost the size of Gandhinagar disappears and reappears, twice a day. The Randh Bander — also called Mota Bander by the local fishermen because of its size — is a low-lying stretch of flat land that stretches for more than 20 km from east to west and 4 km from north to south (at its widest point). During high tide, seawater covers this entire area — sometimes as deep as 15 feet at some areas. During low tide, the mud is soft but hardy enough to walk on easily, although in some places one may sink till the ankles. It is here that about 650 fishermen’s families from Bhadreshwar and Luni villages have been practising what is called “pagadiya fishing” — where boats are not used but rather fishing is done on foot — for an estimated four centuries.

But the fishermen fear all this may disappear soon. They have been writing and protesting to local, state and Central authorities, including Union Environment and Forests Minister Jairam Ramesh, to stop industries from being set up nearby. One of the reasons is that they fear industrialisation in the vicinity would mean this ecosystem, and the livelihood it offers, will perish.

Pagadiya fishing is a simple affair. Fishermen walk far into the bander during low tide and erect nets upon sticks planted into the mud. As the high tide covers the bander, fish from the Arabian Sea swim onto the algae-rich area and feed there. As the water recedes during low tide and the fish with it, they get caught in these nets. All the fishermen have to do is walk upon the bander and collect them.

On an October afternoon, 42-year-old Osman Jamutar was planting a row of sticks on the mud to form a long and steady arch, busily tying a 400 m net to the sticks. Putting two fingers in between the weave of the nets, he explained the small fish could easily pass through it. “We make sure the small and baby fish escape so that the entire fish population does not die and it allows reproduction,” he said, adding that government agencies like Marine Product Export Development Agency were instrumental in spreading awareness about sustainable fishing.

Jamutar sets up this arching net twice every day, in the morning and afternoon. He goes home to his village and returns when the high tide has come and gone. He normally returns to a crowd of fish, caught in the nets. He wraps these up in the net itself, mounts them onto his bicycle and rides home, where his wife and the women in his family sort the catch and take them to the village market. The wives and female relatives of those pagadiya fishermen who have licenses from the Fisheries Department sell their catch in the towns nearby — Mundra, Adipur, Gandhidam and Anjar.

Pagadiya fishing is practised in villages Surajbari, Cherawadi, Navinad, Jarpara, Shekhadia, Luni, Bhadreshwar, Phirsangar, Wandhi, Lakhpat, Jakhau along the Kutch coast.

What kind of fish do they catch? Jamutar gives a long list: “Gandhia, Chhodi, Crabs, Khokri, Khagi, Khetar, Kunga, Bhufari, Serkhundra...”

As one steps onto the bander during low tide, one comes across crabs peeping from under the wet, sandy surface, tiger prawns burying themselves not far away, even several mangrove saplings.

Ibrahim Sale Manjalia, 61, bends down and runs his fingers over the mud to show a thin, green film over it — algae deposits. “The fish come and eat this,” he explains, and points to a shallow stream that runs from the land towards the ocean. “Those bring food for the fish from the land.”

Ibrahim spent a month in jail last year, as he was arrested with five others when protests against a proposed power plant near the village turned violent. He was one of the leaders of those protests, rallying villagers with songs he had composed.

The streams he shows are the lifeline of this ecosystem. Originating inland, they flow towards the Gulf and deposit minerals onto the mud of the bander, serving as feed for the fish, crabs and prawns that thrive there.

Building industries inland may result in these creeks getting blocked and cutting off this supply.

As we walk towards the Arabian Sea, we come across a V-shaped, 3 km long, 6 ft tall net being put up by three men and three women, hurrying to finish the entire length before sundown. This giant net, which the fishermen call “wall net”, will stand for eight months, unlike the shorter one that is set up and removed daily. When we ask the fishermen how much this “wall net” would catch, one of them answers reluctantly: “Maybe Rs 1,500 worth in one week.”

NO Thanks: Fisherfolk reject CSR package and say NO to Adani's KPGL power project in Bhadreshwar

Fishermen and other members of the local community unanimously opposed the Adani group's KPGL power plant proposed in Bhadreshwar village, during the public hearing held on 6th October in Luni village. The fishermen and salt pan workers expressed their concerned about the harmful impact on marine ecology because KPGL is planning to use OPEN CYCLE (ONCE THROUGH COOLING SYSTEM), which is banned in several Western countries because of the excessive damage it causes to marine ecology.

It is relevant to note that the CRZ committee recently rejected a proposal for intake channel in the same area due to the likely impact on marine life, sand dunes and mangroves in Bhadreshwar coast. The KPGL power plant proposes to draw over 10-100 times more sea water than other power plants in the area and discharge nearly 5000 lakh litres / hour into the sea. This is in-spite of the MoEF expert committee’s recommendation to KPGL to try and reduce discharge to zero to minimise damage to marine ecology.

The Marine Environement Impact Assessment report which is very important to understand the likely impact of the proposed KPGL project on fishing, has not been submitted by KPGL. With such key information missing in the documents submitted for the public hearing, people cannot not have a complete idea of the project or the likely impact on our heath and livelihoods. It is meaningless to conduct a public hearing without providing basic and essential information to the public.

Experiences of local communities living in the vicinity of coal based power plants in other parts of Kutch coast show that pollution due to coal dust and fly ash are severe in summer months because of the dry climate and the direction of wind which is towards land. The air pollution could severely affect the fish drying process and salt production. Also, it would affect places of religious importance such as the world famous Jain Vasai teerth which is a pilgrimage centre of Jains located in Bhadreshwar.

Three-fourths of the entire stretch of the Mundra coast, especially the Central and West parts of the Mundra coast, have already been utilised for the purpose of construction of Mundra port and SEZ, CGPL, Adani power plants and desalination plants. Bhadreshwar Randh Bander is important not only for the fisherfolk from Bhadreshwar but also for the 1000+ families dependent on Traditional Fishing on the Mundra Coast.

It is to be noted that the 2600 MW OPG power project is also proposed in Bhadreshwar village right next to the KPGL project location. The cumulative impact of proposed projects on such a small stretch of ecologically fragile coast needs to be studied carefully before Environment clearance can be considered for the projects. Principles of Integrated coastal management need to be adhered to while deciding on the site for upcoming projects.

The above issues show that EIA study has not been done in a rigorous, systematic and genuine manner.

In order to appease the community, the Adani Foundation had offered a CSR package to the fishing community in the form of a 4 Crore package which includes a grant of Rs.10,000 per family, construction of toilets etc. This is hardly adequate to compensate the loss caused by the project to the fishing community. The annual fish catch in Bhadreshwar coast and nearby areas is estimated to be over Rs.20 Crores.

Rejecting these CSR measures as mere lollipops, which trivialized the issues of the fisherfolk, the fishing community unanimously opposed the KPGL project from coming up in Bhadreshwar.

Court decides in favour of fisherfolk; orders re-scheduling of the Adani KPGL public hearing

The Gujarat High Court has decided in favour of the Bhadreshwar fisherfolk in the case filed by fisherfolk to challenge the back to back public hearings of Adanis' Mundra SEZ and KPGL power plant, both of which were scheduled on the same day, i.e tomorrow Oct 5th(Read More). The Honorable High court in its order today(4th October, 2010), has ordered the re-scheduling of the public hearing of Adani's proposed KPGL power project in Bhadreshwar.

Petition moved against public hearing for power plant

Express News Service
Posted: Sat Oct 02 2010, 06:30 hrs Ahmedabad:

Four fishermen from Kutch have moved a petition in the HC praying that the GPCB should postpone the public hearing on October 5 for a power plant. The petitioner had previously written to Environment Minister Jairam Ramesh asking the hearings — for the Mundra SEZ and Kutch Power Generation— be postponed, but the GPCB has so far not taken a decision.

Fishermen’s voice in Kutch still unheard, public hearings for Adani projects to go ahead

Indian Express, Wed, 29th Sept. Adam Halliday

Even though fishermen from Kutch recently wrote(Read More) to local and state authorities and even to Union Minister for Environment and Forests Jairam Ramesh requesting that back-to-back public hearings for two major industrial projects in Mundra district be cancelled, the public hearings will proceed as scheduled on October 5.

Top officials of the Gujarat Pollution Control Board (GPCB), however, said the two public hearings need not be confined to the one-and-half hours allotted but can extend for “up to 24 hours” if the situation so demands. The public hearings are for the Mundra SEZ (expected to occupy an area roughly the size of Gandhinagar city) and the Kutch Power Generation Limited (a 3300 MW coal-based power plant). Both are projects proposed by the Adani Group. GPCB officials said the hearings are more convenient to be held on the same day since “the same people would be affected and the project proponent is the same”, but that extending the time allotted to each hearing is “not a problem” and is something the board’s local-level officials have already been apprised of.

The fishermen are concerned that the plant’s requirement of 52.50 crore litres of sea water per hour might “cause extensive damage to the marine ecology” and have sent a written complaint to Ramesh. The Adani Group proposes to use the “once-through system” of cooling at its 3300-MW coal-based power plant called Kutch Power Generation Limited, which it proposes to set up at the village. The system has attracted severe criticism in some parts of the world; in May 2010, the state of California in the US adopted a policy that seeks to abolish the use of this system.

The fishermen contend that while the volume of sea water that is to be pumped in to cool the plant (and which would be released at higher temperatures) is massive and there is as yet no study of how it would affect the marine ecology. They point out that the terms of reference and the Draft Environment Impact Assessment (EIA) report submitted by the company, and which has been posted on the GPCB website, does not contain a marine impact study.

The documents referred to as a marine impact study is only a technical study of the infrastructure proposed, they allege. When contacted, both the National Institute if Oceanography (NIO) in Goa and the GPCB confirmed that the points raised by the fishermen in this regard are true.

A top NIO official said the Marine EIA is still being prepared and that it has not been submitted yet. The official said the institute has not been contacted by nor has it contacted the private agency that has drawn up the Draft EIA report, distancing the NIO from any “so-called marine impact study” cited there.

On the other hand, senior GPCB officials agreed what has been submitted by the company is in fact not a marine impact study, but a “technical study on the infrastructure, especially the intake and out-fall channels proposed for the plant”. Asked whether this would mean cancellation of the public hearing, GPCB officials said “conducting a public hearing on the basis of a draft report is not a legal breach”.

However, the final decision on whether the project would eventually be allowed will be taken by the MoEF after examining all relevant documents, including the Marine EIA. “The public hearing will go on, but the MoEF and not the GPCB will finally take the decision after studying all the documents as well as the concerns raised at the public hearing,” a top official said.


http://www.indianexpress.com/news/fishermens-voice-in-kutch-still-unheard-public-hearings-for-adani-projects-to-go-ahead/689842/0

Tags : Union Minister for Environment and Forests, Jairam Ramesh Posted: Wed Sep 29 2010, 07:06 hrs Ahmedabad:Mundra The Mundra port

OPG power plant hits a hurdle as fishermen raise environmental fears

Adam Halliday, Indian Express, Sept 11th, 2010

The construction of a 300-MW coal-fired power plant at the coastal village of Bhadreshwar in Kutch district hangs in balance as the project of OPG Ltd — a British company with subsidiaries in India — has hit a couple of roadblocks.

While the Union Ministry of Environment has rejected its proposal of seawater inlets and outlets on environmental grounds, a local fishermen association has approached the National Environment Appellate Authority (NEAA) challenging the environment clearance the company had obtained in June.

The clearance was given by the Gujarat Pollution Control Board on June 6. But the fishermen have challenged it on the grounds that the project would affect the marine life. The matter will be taken up on September 24.

In July-end, the ministry’s Expert Appraisal Committee on Coastal Regulation Zone rejected OPG Ltd’s proposals to build multiple pipelines to draw in seawater to the plant, which would be used as a coolant and later released back into the sea.

Rejecting the proposal, the committee cited several reasons. It said the proposal was for an open channel in the CRZ area, and would have adverse impact on the marine life since the released water would raise the temperature of the surrounding water. The panel further held that the construction would also damage mangroves in the area.

The committee’s contentions about marine life being affected by the release of hot water into the sea.

In January, the deputy commissioner (Fisheries) had written to the Kutch district collector, asking him to cancel a public hearing for the OPG power plant. “I would like to respectfully inform you that the local fisherfolk and fishing is likely to be affected by the OPG power plant... Bhadreshwar is an important location for fisheries. Also, there is a proposal to develop a fish landing centre there,” read the letter.

A company spokesperson, meanwhile, said that fresh proposals have been drawn up and submitted to the authorities, but a final call on this has not been taken yet.

Bhadreshwar Fisherfolk win another small victory; vow to fight to the finish

The Bhadreshwar fisherfolk welcome the decision by the central CRZ committee to reject the CRZ clearance for the intake channel for the proposed 300 MW OPG power plant in Bhadreshwar. In the 89th Meeting of the Expert Appraisal Committee for Building Construction, Coastal Regulation Zone, Infrastructure Development and Miscellaneous projects held on 21st - 23rd July, 2010 at New Delhi, the committee noted “Due to various environmental problems including the adverse impact on the marine life the present proposal is not acceptable.”

The committee has also expressed its concern that the intake channel will affect mangroves and sand dunes in the area. This comes as a relief for nearly 6000 fisherfolk who carry out fishing by traditional methods on the sand bar – Randh Bander on the Bhadreshwar coast.

The committee has suggested that the company must consider a pipeline instead of a open channel.

The battle for the local communities is far from over. Since May 2009, the local communities have been opposing the OPG power plant in Bhadreshwar as it will badly affect their livelihoods.

Community leaders feel that even though the State Government agencies came forward to assess public opinion, no one has thought it fit to provide feedback to the local communities on how the company has responded to their issues. Without any further intimation to the local communities, the environmental clearance was provided in a hush hush manner, which raises suspicions whether the State Government authorities have colluded with the company.

The fisherfolk, aggrieved by the arbitrary decision of the state expert committee to grant environment clearance for the power plant, have decided to approach the NEAA (National Environment Appellate Authority) to challenge the clearance. The hearing is scheduled on 24th September, 2010.

Fisherfolk excited as windmills bring light into their homes

The Bhadreshwar Randh Bander has been in the news for the struggle against the OPG power plant. But, now, the fisherfolk are celebrating not just the denial of permission to OPG power plant in Bhadreshwar but also the arrival of light in their homes through micro-windmills in their settlements. The micro-windmills have been installed after due permission from the concerned authorities.

Ibrahim kaka is incharge of the windmill that services 10 households around his home.

The ABC (Ashapura Bahulakshiseva Charitable Trust) and NABARD, Gujarat have provided four micro-windmills on an experimental basis.

The prominent features of the windmills are as follows:
1. Each windmill unit comprises of the fan, generator, battery and fuse. The fan is made from fibre –glass and does not corrode.
2. The battery gets charged when the fan rotates and when the battery is fully charged the fan is halted and resumes when the battery charge is below maximum level.

3. Each windmill unit can provide lighting for about 10 households. The lamps are of LED type and fisherfolk say that the brightness is very good. In fact they prefer lamps of lesser brightness.
4. The windmill also has a provision for charging mobile phones. However, it is difficult to use right now because one will have to stand near the windmill till the mobile phone gets charged. Instead it is suggested to provide charging points in the homes.
5. Each household contributes a monthly fee of Rs.100, which is maintained by the head of the group (of 10 households) and this amount is to be used for maintenance of the windmills.
6. Each windmill unit supposedly costs about Rs.1,20,000 and the expense for the four experimental machines was borne by NABARD and ABC Trust.
7. This facility is especially useful for women as they need light for 3-4 hours in the night to immediately sort the fish catch that arrives in the night .
Fisherfolk say that the technology is a big improvement over the kerosene lamps for which they spend about Rs.600 per month for buying Kerosene, which is also difficult to obtain many times as the monthly kerosene requirement of a fishing household is more than what is provided through ration shops.

The fisherfolk are excited by the new arrival though they can say for sure that the windmills are a success only after few months.

Fisherfolk demand that the Government should provide more micro-windmills to cover every family on the fishing settlement. This will definitely prove to be a big step towards the development of the community.

The fishing settlement is also using Solar power. The solar panels are marketed by Sahjeevan, a local NGO working on alternative energy solutions. Each solar power unit costs about Rs.5,000 and can provide enough power for a lamp and for charging mobile phones.

MASS welcomes and supports these energy solutions which are environment friendly and insists upon the Government to promote these renewable energy solutions for the welfare of the coastal communities.

Environment Ministry asks, “Is there Fishing in Bhadreshwar Coast?” NA, says Adani

The Adani group is planning a 3300 MW power plant in Bhadreshwar in the name of KPGL (Kutch Power Generation Limited). As per the project details (Form-1) submitted by the company to the Ministry of Environment and Forests, a copy of which we obtained through RTI, the company has mentioned that Bhadreshwar coast does not have important Fishing activity. In response to the question, “Areas containing important, High quality or scarce resources (ground water resources, surface resources, forestry, agriculture, fisheries, tourism, minerals)", the company has stated "NA". This is absolutely false and misleading.

*Click on the image for bigger picture

Randh Bander in Bhadreshwar coast is Kutch’s second largest traditional fishing settlement. Nearly 6000 fisherfolk from Bhadreshwar, Luni, Tuna and Sangad villages reside in this settlement in which traditional fishing is being practiced since nearly 200 years. Government surveys have shown, not only the existence of the bander, but also the high potential for fishing in Randh Bander and its importance. The Fisheries department is currently developing Randh Bander into a modern Fish landing centre. Also, a fisheries producers group ( Read More ), which helps fisherfolk in getting better income from fishing, has already started functioning in Bhadreshwar.

Randh Bander which is on Bhadreshwar coast clearly falls within the project impact area since the power project is proposed in Bhadreshwar village. But, surprisingly, there is no mention of the Randh Bander anywhere in the project information document which the company has submitted to the expert committee of the Environment Ministry.

There are several examples in Kutch coast that show that fishing activities have been completely disrupted in coastal villages where thermal power plants are situated. Based on the drastic decline in fish catch experienced by fisherfolk along the Lakhpat/Abdasa coast in Kutch, it is clear that the Adani power plant and desalination plant could pose grave risks to fishing/Salt Panning activity in the Bhadreshwar coast. In fact the state expert committee has deferred the 300 MW OPG power project in Bhadreshwar due to serious concerns about coastal livelihoods, and the world famous Jain pilgrimage centre in Bhadreshwar. ( Read More )

Inspite of the risks posed by the power plant to Kutch’s second largest fishing centre, impact on fishing has not even been considered in the impact assessment study being conducted by National Institute of Oceanography for the project. The local communities of Bhadreshwar, especially the Fishing community are strongly opposed to the meaningless study by NIO.

It’s not as if NIO officials are unaware of fishing activities on Bhadreshwar coast. As mentioned in a reply to RTI application, a NIO team visited Randh Bander on 23rd January, 2010 for physical verification of Sandbar at Bhadreshwar(Randh Bander). Again on March 6th, 2010, a NIO team lead by Dr.Gajbhiye personally visited Randh Bander upon the insistence of the representatives of fisherfolk and the NIO scientists themselves are witness to the false/misleading statements made by their clients, the Adanis.



Fisherfolk have raised their objection to the NIO study, which is based on false and misleading information provided by Adanis to the Environment Ministry’s expert committee and demand that the project be rejected immediately.

Further, fisherfolk demand that the Environment Ministry should implement United Nations Environment Guidelines on Thermal power plants, in Gulf of Kutch. If UN guidelines are followed, then Environment Clearance for the Adani power plant and other Thermal Power projects in Gulf of Kutch should be considered only after exhaustive carrying capacity studies, which would determine how many power plants can be safely established without adversely affecting the marine ecology and traditional coastal livelihoods in Gulf of Kutch.

Nearly 75% of the 60 km Mundra coast is already allocated for construction of ports, SEZ, power plants etc by Adani and other industries. Traditional fisherfolk all over the Mundra coast are facing displacement from their settlements. Bhadreshwar Randh Bander is the last major fishing settlement available for the 1000+ traditional fisherfolk families in the Mundra coast.

The fishing community is strongly opposed to the Adani power plant in Bhadreshwar as Bhadreshwar coast is critical for their livelihoods, whereas there are plenty of alternative sites in Kutch coast to implement the power plant. In their letter dated 6th March, 2010, the Fishworkers told the scientists and the company politely but firmly that they not responsible for any losses that the company might suffer in future because of the investments it is making towards the power plant in a location chosen without consulting the local communities.

If you would like to support the Bhadreshwar fishworkers and endorse their demands, please sign the online petition at http://www.gopetition.com/online/35144.html

Expert committee tells OPG "Provide Answers to people's issues first, then come to us"

In its letter dated 11th March, 2010 the Gujarat State Level Expert Appraisal Committee has informed OPG that the proposed 300 MW power project at Bhadreshwar will be considered for Environmental Clearance only after the company responds in detail to the issues raised by the local communities and also gets CRZ clearance from the competent authority.

The chronology of events related to the OPG power project is shown below:
29th May,2009 Public hearing for the 300 MW OPG power project witnessed unprecedented opposition from local communities Read More

23rd Aug,2009 Violent incidents in Bhadreshwar as OPG attempts to start construction without environmental clearance. 30 Fisherfolk leaders arrested and jailed for over 3 months. No action taken against the company. Read More

27th Aug,2009 Fisherfolk move Gujarat High Court against OPG project, raising issues of illegal construction and wrong information provided by company during public hearing.Read More

03rd Dec,2009 OPG approaches MoEF for expansion of the 300 MW power plant to 2600 MW.

03rd Feb,2010 Gujarat High Court orders site visit by GPCB officials and rules that company can’t start construction until project gets Environmental Clearance.

24th Feb,2010 Team of GPCB and Expert Committee visits Bhadreshwar and interacts with local communities and company officials. GPCB asks Machimar Adhikar Sangharsh Sangathan, a local fishworkers tradeunion to prepare a comprehensive representation of all issues raised by the local communities in opposition to the OPG project.

4th March,2010 MASS hands over the representation, on behalf of 23,000 Fishworkers, Salt Panners, Farmers, Livestock rearers, Jain pilgrims and other villagers, to Expert Committee in presence of OPG officials.

11th Mar,2010 Expert Committee writes to OPG seeking their response to the issues raised by the local communities and states that project will be considered for Environmental Clearance only after satisfactory response to the issues raised and also the company has to obtain prior CRZ clearance from the central authorities.

12th Mar,2010 OPG starts construction again in project site.

13th Mar,2010 Fisherfolk complain about OPG’s illegal construction activity to district authorities.

17th Mar,2010 Legal notices served to district officials to conduct site inspection of the illegal construction activity.

As on date No action taken by District administration and OPG continues illegal construction activity without Environmental Clearance.

As mentioned in the representation made by MASS to GPCB, the project is likely to adversely impact fishworkers, salt panners, farmers, livestock rearers, Jain pilgrims visiting the Bhadreshwar panch teerth and other villagers of Bhadreshwar and the surrounding villages. On July 10rd, 2009, the Bhadreshwar Gram Sabha passed a resolution against the OPG power project. Villagers are worried because OPG is committing so many violations at the entry stages itself, and if allowed to establish, cannot be relied upon to sincerely implement pollution control measures that are being discussed on paper, thereby putting people's health and livelihoods at risk.

The apathy of the District Administration in ignoring the local community's complaints and allowing OPG to continue with illegal construction means that the villagers only ray of hope lies with the Expert Committee and the courts. The Machimar Adhikar Sangharsh Sangathan, Kutch Zilla Machimar Association, The Bhadreshwar Salt Pan Association, Paryavaran Mitra and Kalyanji Vardhaman Trust (Trustees of the Jain pilgrimage shrine) welcome the positive steps taken by the Expert Committee and GPCB to understand the issues of the local communities. However, it remains to be seen whether the expert committee will take a step further in the interests of the local communities and deliver justice by rejecting the Environmental Clearance for the OPG power project.


If you would like to support the local communities in their pursuit of pro-poor, clean and sustainable development, please sign the following petition to insist upon the environmental regulatory authorities to reject environmental clearance for the project and the district administration to wake up and take some action against the company.
http://www.gopetition.com/online/30272.html

OPG starts construction without Environment Clearance, yet again, inspite of court order

The Gujarat state expert committee is considering whether or not to grant environment clearance for the 300 MW project, which poses grave risks to the health and livelihoods of local communities and also the tranquility of the 2500 year ancient Jain Vasai Teerth, which is located just 1.5 km from the project site. While the company is claiming that there will be absolutely no impact because of the project, the local communities, which have been mislead and given false information several times, view the company’s claims as hollow promises which are not backed by genuine, systematic and scientific studies, based on consultations with local community.

Local community leaders conveyed their strong objection to the project during the State Expert Committee’s visit to the project site on February 23rd, 2010. An RTI reply sent by Ministry of Environment and Forests revealed that the company has already applied for expansion of the 300 MW project to a 2600 MW project (which the state expert committee was not aware of), raising questions about violation of environment norms which stipulate Central Government permission for Power projects of capacity over 500 MW.

Now, the proposed 300 MW power plant in Bhadreshwar village of Mundra taluk, is in serious trouble once again, as the company has started construction without the mandatory environment clearance. This is not the first time that the company has done this. It may be recalled that the company’s attempts to start illegal construction in August 2009, had led to violent clashes in the village (See http://masskutch.blogspot.com/2009/08/violent-twist-to-hitherto-nonviolent.html).

After the August incident, the local fishermen had also approached the high court to seek intervention in this matter and in its order on 3rd February,2010 the Gujarat High Court ruled “The matter(Environment Clearance for the OPG project) is pending before the Environmental Impact Assessment Authority of the State(of Gujarat) and till Environmental Clearance Certificate is given the 11th respondent(OPG) cannot establish the unit.”

However, as the following photographs (dated 12th March,2010) taken at the proposed OPG project site in Bhadreshwar reveal, the company, in gross violation of environment law and is also in contempt of court, has again started construction.







The local communities have approached the concerned authorities for immediate action in this matter.

If you would like to support the local communities in their pursuit of clean and sustainable development, please sign the following petition to insist upon the environmental regulatory authorities to reject environmental clearance and the district administration to take strong action against the company.
http://www.gopetition.com/online/30272.html

OPG's Divide and Rule ploy defeated as Court decides not to withdraw PIL

UK Based OPG Group has been trying to illegally start construction on a power plant in Bhadreshwar village in Mundra coast. British company OPG Power Ventures Plc, or OPG as it is known, has also been accused of breaching environmental laws and being complicit in violations against local people in India. OPG, a power-supply company is planning to build a 300 MW coal-powered power station on the Mundra coast of the State of Gujarat. The Mundra coast is known as an ecologically-sensitive zone, with an abundance of mangroves, corals, and wildlife. The coastal waters also provide the source of income for the ten thousand fishermen who live within 5kms of the proposed plant.

Fisher-folk of Bhadreshwar village had approached the Gujarat High Court in August regarding the OPG Power plant issue. In their PIL, they had explained how the project is not in public interest and the company has been providing false and misleading information to the public/ Govt authorities. They also alleged that the company has been trying to start construction work illegally even without the mandatory Environmental Clearance and the district administration has remained a mute spectator to the company's violations inspite of repeated complaints from fisherfolk and other local communities. The fisher-folk have prayed that the Hon. High Court put an end to all these illegal activities of OPG group.

Realising that their game in Bhadreshwar is about to end, the OPG group has been allegedly resorting to various unfair and unethical means to subdue the fisherfolks' struggle.

Several fishermen, including those who were not present during the clashes in August, have been falsely implicated in criminal cases and jailed for over 2 months.

In the second week of Nvomenber, the president of the Kutch Zila Machimar Association, Suleiman Ali, wrote to the fisherfolks' advocate and 11 other authorities, including the OPG company asking for withdrawal of the PIL. Quoting him from his letter(written in English), "I have come to the conclusion that the scope of the OPG Power project at Bhadreshwar and the implementation and the operation of the project will not effect any fishermen and / or members of our association and people living in Bhadreshwar and surrounding villages and their villagers". Fishermen wonder, who wrote this letter in Corporate Style English for Suleiman Ali who doesn't know English.

Angered by this letter, fishermen representatives attended court yesterday(26th Nov) and submitted an affidavit saying that their PIL needs to be pursued in the interest of 23,000 people. Quoting from one of the affidavits, "I have come to know that our President Shri.Manek Haji Suleiman Ali has, against the inteest of about 23,000 people, joined hands with OPG Company and written a letter asking for withdrawal of the PIL. We have not given any authority to Sulieman Ali to withdraw the PIL. The people of our village are against OPG Power project. All of us want to pursue the PIL in the interest of justice and interest of village people"

During the hearing, the Government Advocate(on behalf of Kutch Collector) court submitted Suleiman Ali's letter and argued that the PIL be withdrawn. But, the court accepted the Fisherfolks' argument that the company was trying the "divide and rule" ploy and one man's betrayal cant stand in the way of larger public interest and the lives and livelihoods of nearly 23,000 people. Favoring the fisherfolks' plea to allow the PIL to continue, the court has issued notices to all respondents, including OPG.

Violent twist to the hitherto nonviolent struggle by Fisherfolk against OPG power plant

Click here Sign a Petition to urge the Government officials to stop the illegal and fraudulent activities of OPG Power Plant.

Fisherfolk in Bhadreshwar village and nearby villages have been opposing the 300 MW OPG power plant proposed in Bhadreshwar Village for several months. The local communities mainly feared the harmful impact of the power plant upon their health and livelihoods and the company’s EIA report created grave concern about loss of livelihoods of nearly 20,000 fisherfolk and salt pan workers. See Likely impact of Industries on Fishing

The public hearing for the Environment Clearance of the project held on May 29th 2009, witnessed unprecedented opposition by Fisherfolk, Salt pan workers and other members of the local communities. After the public hearing, several representations have been made to various authorities such as the GPCB, MoEF highlighting the fraudulent methods being used by OPG in order to get Environment Clearance for the project. See Public hearing for OPG Power Project in Bhadreshwar village, 29th May, 2009.

Since July, the fishing community had been put under lot of pressure due to several attempts by OPG to start construction activity even before Environmental Clearance was given for the project. On August 5th, several trucks arrived at the project site and they were gently asked by representatives of the Fishing community not to start construction as clearance had not yet been obtained. A Letter was issued to the local Panchayat to ensure that no construction is started without Environmental clearance.

However, the company made another attempt on August 9th to start construction and this time brought private security guards with them. The representatives of the fishing community got legal notices issued to the company not to start construction without clearance and to government officials not to abet the unlawful activities of the OPG group. See Community Gears up to Stop Illegal Activity by OPG Power Plant

Inspite of these efforts, no action was taken by the Government authorities to enforce law and the company, in its desperation to start construction hired and stationed 15 persons from the local community as security guards in the project site on August 22nd. This led to a clash on August 23rd between member of the fishing community and the security persons, which led to 7 people getting injured and two motorcycles being burnt. Among the persons injured were four members of the Fishing community, 2 members of Luni village, and 1 person from Bhadreshwar village.

In response to a complaint filed by the father of the injured person from Bhadreshwar village, the Mundra police have arrested 31 persons from the Fishing community.