Adani group illegally detains NDTV team reporting on the depletion in Gujarat's mangroves.

Men from the Adani group harass, assault and illegally detain an NDTV team reporting on the depletion in Gujarat's mangroves.

*Click on the picture below to view the report on NDTV


Read more at: http://www.ndtv.com/video/player/news/adani-co-illegally-confines-ndtv-team/191934?cp

The fishworkers of Kutch strongly condemn the incident and demand stringent action against the Adani Group for the highhanded and illegal behavior of its employees.


Kutch Fishing Community leaders submit a complaint at the Mundra mamlatdar office seeking action against the illegal confinement of NDTV crew working on a report on depletion of mangroves

To express support for the fishworkers struggle and action against the Adani Group for the environmental violations, please sign the online petition http://www.gopetition.com/petition/41546.html

Vibrant Gujarat? Your coast is not clear, Mr Adani

KHAMISA ALI Mohammad squints against the glare of the sea, inspecting his fishing net. For the third time this season, ships sailing down the Kutch coast to India’s largest private port at Mundra have lacerated his fishing net. His earnings are down by more than 45,000 while industrialist Gautam Adani, who operates the port, has been ranked the seventh richest Indian on the Forbes list of billionaires — the only one from Ahmedabad.

The battle-weary fisherman is more sardonic than angry. “These companies will bring us development? These beggars who steal from us?” he asks.

Click on the picture below to read the full article in Tehelka magazine



http://tehelka.com/story_main48.asp?filename=Ne260211DEVELOPMENT_CONFLICTS.asp

Adani projects: Eating into the sea?

The ports and Special Economic Zone (SEZ) being constructed by the Adani Group in Gujarat's Mundra is under the Environment Ministry's scanner after allegations that illegal construction in these have illegally reclaimed the fragile seashore. NDTV reports. Click on the image below to see the video.

Read more at: http://www.ndtv.com/video/player/news/adani-projects-eating-into-the-sea/186058?cp

Adani port: Damaging the coast

One of India's infrastructure projects, the Mundra Port and Special Economic Zone, owned by the Adani group has been slapped with a show cause notice by the environment ministry for violating the CRZ notification. NDTV looks at the damage done. Click on the image to see the video. Read more at: http://www.ndtv.com/video/player/news/adani-port-damaging-the-coast/185246?cp

MoEF sends a showcause to Mundra Port and SEZ

Proposed OPG power plant in Mundra also gets notice

Show cause notice to Mundra Port and SEZ and OPG power Project

Site visit report by Dr.A.Senthilvel, Additional Director, MoEF on Dec 6th, 7th, 2010

Express News Service Posted online: Fri Dec 17 2010, 00:11 hrs

Ahmedabad : Proposed OPG power plant in Mundra also gets notice

The Union Ministry of Environment and Forests has issued a showcause to the Mundra Port and Special Economic Zone (MPSEZ) located in Mundra taluka of Kutch district for violating the Coastal Regulation Zone notification of 1991 and asked state authorities to raze constructions that flout CRZ norms within four weeks.

The MoEF has also simultaneously issued showcause to OPG Power Gujarat Private Limited located in Mundra taluka, which is planning a 300-MW thermal power plant about 20 kms from the MPSEZ, for violation of the Environment Impact Assessment Notification, 2006.

The notices follow a site visit by additional director of the MoEF A Senthilvel on December 6 and 7 and the report he submitted.

The MoEF had earlier received several representations alleging violations of various environmental laws from Bharat Patel, general secretary of the Machikar Adhikar Sangharsh Sangathan, a local fishermen’s union.

The notice to the MPSEZ, operated by the Adani Group and valued at MoEF sends a showcause to Mundra Port and SEZ

Rs 29,610 crore in terms of market capitalisaion, lists several CRZ violations that include “large-scale” destruction of mangroves in different areas, blocking of creeks and tidal flow to mangrove areas, and building an airport, a township and a hospital without proper clearances.

The airport had obtained clearance from the Civil Aviation ministry, but had not obtained one from the MoEF, which is mandatory as per the CRZ notification.

The union ministry has asked the company to reply in 15 days failing which “appropriate orders as deemed fit will be passed under the circumstances of the case without any further notice”.

In addition, the union ministry has asked why several of the clearances already granted to the company by the Gujarat State Environment Impact Assessment should not be cancelled and why its own clearances should not be cancelled due to violation of conditions and why illegal constructions should not be dismantled to allow tidal flow.

The ministry also asked why a 1000-hectare mangrove afforestation drive in and around the project site should not be paid for by the MPSEZ.

The ministry has also directed the Gujarat Coastal Zone Management Authority to prepare a revised CRZ area for the site, superimpose it on a map of the existing area and thereafter remove or dismantle any construction that violates the CRZ norms within four weeks.

A spokesperson for the Adani Group said, “The work carried out at Mundra is in compliance with clearances. We are studying the issues raised by MoEF and will respond to them in due course of time. Operations at Mundra are normal.”

The MPSEZ has chalked out massive expansion plans, having signed an MoU with the Gujarat government during the Vibrant Gujarat summit 2009 to expand and develop multiple facilities at Mundra at an estimated cost of Rs 15,000 crore.

The proposed port facilities were expected to become operational in a phased manner from 2011 onwards.

The MPSEZ is the second port to be questioned by the MoEF. Earlier, the proposed Positra port plan had to be scrapped in April this year due to dangers it posed to the marine ecosystem in the Gulf of Kutch.

Public hearing of Mundra SEZ witnesses unprecedented protests

The environmental public hearing of the 7400 Cr Mundra SEZ, promoted by the Adani Mundra Port and SEZ limited witnessed unprecedented protests and lot of commotion. The local communities from over 14 villages unanimously opposed the project at the public hearing and raised issues vociferously and demanded explanations from the company. The situation was tense throughout the public hearing, which went on for over 5 hours.

The public hearing was held in a huge tent erected in the premises of Ganesh Temple in Luni village. The Kutch Additional collector, Shri.Gunvant Vaghela, chaired the hearing. Shri.Pancholi from the Gujarat Pollution Control Board started the procedure by welcoming everyone and explaining the purpose of the public hearing. After that, the company representatives made a presentation with details of the Category A project. The current proposal is related to phase 1 of the Mundra SEZ which covers an area of 8400 Ha. The activities proposed would include expansion of facilities such as road, electricity, railway line, airport, health and education infrastructure etc. Over the next 15 years the company plans to expand the SEZ over an area of 18,000 Ha. Sushma Oza of the Adani Foundation gave an overview of the activities of the Adani Foundation and the CSR activities proposed. The company gave assurances that ground water would not be utilized for the project and that fisherfolk will not be displaced as a result of the project.

Bikhabhai Nathu Ahir, on behalf of the agarias(traditional salt-pan workers) and the salt industry raised the issue that the project would severely affect the salt production in the area. He claimed that the GPCB is misguiding the people regarding the impact of industries on the salt industry and raised other issues related to the Mundra SEZ. The people present at the hearing strongly supported his views.

Amad Iliyas Manjaliya of Machimar Adhikar Sangharsh Sangathan, speaking on behalf of the traditional fishing community in the area, stated that the Mundra SEZ sounds the death knell for the fishermen in the area, who are already facing several problems due to the Mundra Port and SEZ. Several other leaders, including Vishram Gadhvi (farmers’ representative), Mahendra Gadhvi (Bhujpur Village Sarpanch), Jiveesinh Jadeja (Samagoga village Sarpanch), Kumbhar Umar Mamad (Bhadreshwar village Sarpanch), Valjibhai Taparia (Zarpara village Sarpanch), Pradyumansinh Jadeja (Zilla Panchayat President), Kara Hussein Salemamad (Kutch Zilla Mchimar ssociation) and other leaders opposed the project and raised several serious issues and demanded for the cancellation of the public hearing.


The local community representatives expressed their view that the Additional Collector, Shri. Vaghela and GPCB’s Shri.Pancholi were taking sides with the company and speaking in the company’s favour. Hearing this, Shri.Vaghela, the Additional collector lost his temper and stepped down from the stage and had a heated argument with the community leaders and even used abusive words. Seeing the worsening situation, police officials rushed to the scene and tried to keep the situation under control. The commotion lasted for over an hour. Seeing the manner in which the officials behaved, several people walked out of the public hearing shouting that the meaningless drama of public hearing be put to an end.

Women from the affected villages also rushed to the stage and shouted slogans against the project and argued with the officials. Lady police officers had to intervene and tried to keep the situation under control. At this point, there was so much commotion that hardly anything was audible to the people present in the public hearing.

After a large number of people walked out, panchayat members and leaders requested people to be seated and allow the public hearing to continue. Malay Mahadevia, Director of Mundra SEZ, stated that fishermen will be provided access through certain parts of the SEZ and also CSR activities will be undertaken in consultation with the local community.

The people from Zarpara village had tied tender coconuts to the roof of the public hearing venue to show how small these had become due to the pollution caused by the Adani group’s activities in the area. They also displayed photographs of indiscriminate mangrove destruction by the Adani group in the area. The Samagoga Sarpanch explained with the help of satellite images, the extent of mangrove destruction and blocking of creeks in the area.

On behalf of the fishing community, Amad Iliyas Manjaliya of Machimar Adhikar Sangharsh Sangathan(MASS) and Kara Hussein Mamad of Kutch Zilla Machimar Association submitted a comprehensive memorandum running into over 1100 pages, which scientifically listed the issues related to the Mundra SEZ .

Upon conclusion of the public hearing, it was announced that the public hearing of the proposed Kutch Power Generation Limited power plant in Bhadreshwar, will be held on 6th October in Luni.

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

RUBBER STAMP? RTI and EIA collide at NIO

The National Institute of Oceanography has repeatedly attested that the Adani group's projects in Kutch would not negatively impact the region's ecology, but admits this only reluctantly. Kanchi Kohli reports.

14 September 2010 - Every desert has oases, says the first chapter of a draft report describing the life and times of Kachchh district of Gujarat. These four words attempt to tell a story of how a harsh and rough terrain is also a rare ecological zone, vibrantly diverse in species, habitat and cultural diversity. And the oasis here is the coastline encompassing fragile mangroves, mudflats, estuaries and inter-tidal zones that are home to the rarest of flora and fauna. A significant area of the district is an extremely fragile inter-tidal ecosystem. It is only recently that I realised that the name of the district literally means "something which intermittently becomes wet and dry".

But this desert also presents a mirage - of a consumptive industrial dream. It is a conviction that has driven the coastal and marine landscape to be built over and tapped for thermal power generation, ports, storage and shipment facilities. Understandably, this massive land-use change is impacting not just the landscape, but also the people who have lived here for generations. Traditional and commercial fishing, salt panning, grazing and other artisanal livelihoods are under threat.

National Institute of Oceanography

Many have constructed this mirage, some much more than others. One recent target of locals' anger is the Goa-based National Institute of Oceanography, which is one of the is one of the 38 constituent laboratories of the Council of Scientific & Industrial Research of the Government of India. Since 1998, the NIO has carried out numerous marine Environment Impact Assessments (EIAs) for the Adani group, one of the biggest industrial players in the district. Since 1994 the preparation of an EIA has been a mandatory requirement to obtain environmental clearance for large projects. Project proponents hire the services of a consultant to carry out this assessment. In Adani's case, the NIO was the EIA consultant for 21 projects.

It took some digging to unearth this information. For the applicants, it was not easy to get a response from the NIO. Ironically, the person who responded to the RTI application filed by Usmangani Sherasiya dated 24 January, 2010 was Dr.Gajbhiye himself. In a very casual email response, he gave the reason for the rejection of the RTI application as the information had been "explained you all peoples personally" [sic]. What he was referring to was an instance when representatives of the fishing community had approached the NIO team seeking clarification on the purpose of their visit to the area - they had responded saying that the NIO was checking the pollution levels in the sea on behalf of the Government.

When this was objected to, another Public Information Officer, Dr. Tapaswi, cited a different reason for rejecting the application - stating that the documents are not in order. The explanation given was that the postal order by which the application was sent was drawn in the wrong name. It was only after a second appeal was filed that the NIO revealed how many EIAs it has carried out for the Adani group.

Locals critical of NIO's actions

In a recent letter to the NIO, local fisherfolk organised together as the Machimar Adhikar Sangharsh Sangathan (MASS) and Kutch Zilla Machimar Association have expressed their anguish. Their letter, dated 22 August says, "traditional fisherfolk working along the Kutch coast of Gujarat are facing displacement and loss of livelihood due to rapid industrialisation in the Kutch coast for the last 5 years. The unique ecology of Gulf of Kutch is undergoing rapid and irreversible damage due to the destructive activities of the industries like the Adani group. We are pained to see that certain persons representing reputed institutions like NIO are colluding with these industrial giants and assisting these industries in their environmentally destructive activities by understating the project impacts in the EIA reports and misleading the public."

In their letter to the NIO, the organisations quote the information they have received through a tedious process under the Right to Information (RTI) Act, showing that since 2003, 17 of these EIAs were led by one NIO scientist in particular, S N Gajbhiye. But that is not their real grouse - it was the quality of the reports.

One instance, which is cited in the letter, is related to the EIA prepared for the Adani Waterfront Development Project. The marine EIA for this project project severely understates the extent of fisheries in the area, and underplays the impact on the livelihood of fisherfolk and environment of the region. The report omits the most obvious facts, stating that there is no commercial fishery on the Mundra coast in the Kutch region (where the project is presently under construction). It also makes no mention of the fragility of the coastal stretch, and the traditional methods of fishing carried out in the region.

The scientists were not even aware of the existence of Kutch's second largest fishing settlement on a sand bar in Bhadreshwar coast, until some of the local fishermen invited the scientists to the Randh Bander.(Read more about this incident )

The Mundra coasts boasts of an extremely interesting traditional fishing practice called pagadia (fishing on foot), which is under severe threat due to the rapid industrialisation in the area. Both men and women are involved in such fishing, with women almost entirely handling the sale of the fish catch. "NIO's marine EIA for the Waterfront Development Project", says Bharat Patel, an activist working with MASS, "has no mention of this unique fishing practice."

Another NIO team - again lead by Gajbhiye - is presently preparing a marine EIA study for Adani's KPGL power plant in Bhadhreswar coast in Kutch. The letter addressed to the NIO Director says, "we have already expressed our opposition to the high-handed and meaningless manner in which the marine EIA study is being carried out in collusion with Adani officials. In fact, the scientists led by Gajbhiye were not even aware of the existence of Kutch's second largest fishing settlement on a sand bar in Bhadreshwar coast, until some of the local fishermen invited the scientists to the Randh Bander and explained the real situation." The fisherfolk groups have separately written to Gajbhiye in this regard back in March 2010, and received no response.

What is also interesting is NIO's response to one of the questions in the RTI application. The application asks if NIO has ever verified if Adani has complied with any recommendations given by them. The answer was a simple "NO." Over the years, this organisation of international repute has carried out EIAs for a company without ever understanding where their recommendations are headed! On the ground, people engaged in fishing, salt panning, grazing and other livelihoods around the project sites have seen their land shrink and access curbed. No effort has been made to include their experiences into the preparation of the EIA. The Mundra and Bhadreshwar coastlines are struggling to keep their form, as a result - a dramatic change, most of which is irreversible. ⊕

Kanchi Kohli
14 Sep 2010

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

URL for this article:
http://indiatogether.org/2010/sep/env-nioeia.htm

National Panel on SEZs recommends scrapping of SEZ Act

The National People's Audit of Special Economic Zones in India, was held in New Delhi on 19th, 20th April, 2010, at the Nehru Memorial Auditorium. Organised by a collective of people's movement groups, social and research organisations and academics, this two-day national convention is a culmination of state-level people's audit of SEZs that was conducted in several states of India, through last year (2009-2010).

The National Audit panel comprised of following eminent persons and thought leaders:
1. Kuldip Nayar (Journalist and Columnist)
2. Devaki Jain(Development Economist)
3. Admiral (Retd.) Ramdas(Former Naval Chief and Magsaysay awardee)
4. K. B. Saxena (IAS - Retd.)
5. Dr. Meher Engineer(Physicist and Former Director of Bose Institute, Kolkata)
6. Rahul Bose(Actor and activist campaigning against discrimination)
7. Ashish Kothari(Environmentalist, Kalpavriksh Action Group) and
8. Vrinda Grover (Advocate, Delhi High Court)

Manshi Asher, activist and researcher, introduced the Gujarat chapter and tried to lay out the details before the audience. “Gujarat is being trumpeted by its Chief Minister as the SEZ capital of India. The first claim is that most of the export revenue earned from SEZs originates from Gujarat while the second claim is that SEZ implementation has been virtually resistance or protest-free – since no agricultural land has been forcibly acquired from farmers and farmers have either been willing to sell their lands or wasteland land has been allotted to SEZ.” According to Manshi, who has worked extensively on this issue, “the lie behind the first claim can be nailed on the fact that bulk of the export revenue originating in Gujarat is from the Jamnagar refinery. Also, the other so called successful and high export SEZs were already operational and profitable industry hubs, before being conferred with the status of SEZs. This is a lie that the Government presents to the people and has to be exposed to the all.” For the second claim of the Government, she said “most land that was originally given to SEZs was acquired decades back, by the Gujarat State Industrial Development Corporation. Obviously there will be no protest for land that was acquired in the 80's and 90's.”

Bharat Patel from the Machimar Adhikar Sangharsh Sangathan presented the resistance against the Mundra Port and SEZ which was endangering the livelihoods of over 1000 fisher-families in the region. “The area around the Kutch coast has been labelled as an ecologoically sensitive area in Government and MoEF reports, yet the Adani group proceeded with construction and cutting down of the Mangrove forest without any Environment clearance. This just shows the extent to which there is collusion between the Government and the corporates.”

The complete presentation can be seen below:

Mundra Issues - SEZ Audit

At the end of the two day summit, after hearing the testimonies of people from Maharashtra, Gujarat, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka and Goa, the panelists recommended the following to the Government:

1. The SEZ Act should be immediately repealed.


2. All consideration of pending applications should be stopped forthwith.


3. All SEZs given approval so far (notified or in principle), should be reviewed through a participatory public process. Where local community consent is not obtained, they should be withdrawn. Where they are to continue, they should be subject to all environmental, labour, tax and other laws of the country, converting them to normal industrial estates, and taking back the excess lands.


4. Farmers, fishers, and other local communities who have been displaced should be urgently rehabilitated, back into the areas they were displaced from, with clear tenurial rights (especially community rights) to the land, within a year.


5. Farmers, fishers, and other local communities who have been deprived of their lands and/or resources (without being physically displaced) should be given back their lands and/or access to resources, as far as possible in their original state, with clear tenurial rights (especially community rights) to the land and/or resources, within a year.


6. Developers must be made to remedy the ecological damage, and health hazards, created by their activities.


7. A full investigation, with public involvement and full transparency, should be conducted into allegations of malpractice, illegality, and misbehaviour on part of corporations, agencies, and officials; and appropriate punishments given to those found guilty.


8. In place of SEZs, the government must facilitate the security of livelihoods of communities living off the land, helping them enhance agricultural, forestry, fisheries, rural industrial, or other means of livelihoods. Several innovative initiatives of decentralised economic and political democracy (including on people’s economic zones, sustainable agriculture, rural industries, renewable energy, and so on), that are being led by communities and civil society organizations, should be supported and encouraged.


9. The State’s power of eminent domain over land and natural resources should be brought in line with the mandatory consent of local communities; this would include the replacement of the Land Acquisition Act or other such laws of the centre and the states with laws that are more democratic.
   

Kutch Coast - People, Environment and Livelihoods

In case of any difficulty in accessing the reports, please mail us at mass.kutch@gmail.com

Click here to sign a petition to demand action from the Government to protect the environment and livelihoods of people along Kutch Coast

Kutch Coast Study - Fishmarc and Kutch Nav Nirman Abhiyan

NEAA directs Gujarat Government to secure livelihoods of Mundra Fisherfolk

Nearly 10,000 fisherfolk are at threat of being displaced by the development of Adani port and SEZ along Mundra coast. Apart from the threat of displacement, the issue of decline in fish production due to pollution caused by the port activities and the SEZ industries has cast a doubt on the future of the fishing community.

When the Water Front Development Project’s public hearing came up in Nov 2008, the fisherfolks had raised their concerns about the likely loss of livelihoods and the threat to fishing due to the project. They had also pointed out the indiscriminate destruction of mangroves in the area and questioned the genuineness of the environmental clearance process as the Adanis had been carrying out construction activities for the project for the past six months without environmental clearance.

In spite of these objections, the project was given environmental clearance by the MoEF (Ministry of Environment and Forests) in January 2009. In response, the fisherfolk launched an agitation under the banner of Machimar Adhikar Sangharsh Samiti (MASS) demanding that the state Government take measures to ensure that the livelihood of fisherfolk is protected.

The fisherfolk also approached the National Environment Appellate Authority in February 2009 in Manjalia Ahmad Ishak & Ors vs. Union of India & Ors where a prominent legal firm ELDF (Enviro Legal Defence Firm) represented the Fisherfolk and highlighted the issues.

In its judgment dated July 22, 2009, the NEAA has directed the Gujarat Government to ensure that any proposed activities of the Adanis' Water Front Development Project do not hinder safe access of fishermen to the sea through the traditional access including their use of bandars(Fishing Settlements). This is a significant order in view of the fact that the Mundra Port and SEZ Ltd., in its affidavit, claimed that there are no transient settlements or bandars in the project area. However, the NEAA refused to stay the ongoing constructions as sought by the petitioners on behalf of the fishing community. The petitioners had also raised the issue of violations by the Mundra Port and SEZ in the form of mangrove destruction, blocking of creeks and the start of construction prior to receipt of requisite permissions. In this regard, the NEAA has not given any ruling but has stated that the petitioners are at liberty to approach the concerned statutory authorities in this regard.

This Order comes as a huge relief to atleast thousand fisherfolk families and it is perhaps for the first time that the NEAA has passed such strict binding orders in its history of twelve years since it was created in 1997.
Sign a petition to save Mundra Coast and stop displacement of Mundra Fisherfolk

Sign a Petition to stop the displacement of Fisherfolk

Click here and leave us a comment with your name or email id, location to show your support for our demands.

Your support will help us to insist upon the Government and Industry to accept our demands.

Write to us at mass.kutch@gmail.com

Proposed Industries on the Mundra Coast

Overview of Adanis' Waterfront Development Project:

The Mundra Port as of date has multipurpose terminals, container terminals, Single Point Mooring and back-up infrastructure such as open storage area, covered godowns, chemical and POL(Petroleum/Oil/Lubricant) storage tank farm, and several CFS(Container Freight Stations) operated by private parties on land leased from MPSEZL. Support infrastructure, as existing, comprises connectivity to national network of railways and roads, power supply, water supply and other utilities and services.

The proposed WFDP comprises four port clusters - namely West Port, South Port, North Port and East Port, a Liquified Natural Gas terminal, two shipyards, three desalination plants, associated intake and outfall structures, port interconnecting road/link network and other necessary infrastructure.

The proposed structures are shown on the map below(click image to see Fullsize):

-->

Usage and Capacity

The estimated traffic in these ports is listed below:

-->

Port	No of ships per year by 2013	Nature of cargo
West	850	Coal, Steel Scrap, Chemicals, Dry Bulk
South	220	Dry Bulk and Oil
North	150	Automobiles
East	300	Steel Scrap, Dry Bulk

-->

The capacity of the Desalination plant near West port is 300 million litres per day. Nearly 1.5 times the capacity is discharged into the sea as saline water. Desalination plants of 100 mld, 140 mld capacities are proposed in future.

Overview of OPGs' Coal Based Power Plant Project:

1. A 300 MW coal based Thermal power plant is being proposed.The generated power is supplied to industries and not to the power grid.
2. The total land that has been procured for the power plant is 316 acres.
3. The location of the power plant is shown in Google Earth Image,

4. Indonesian Coal will be brought in through Mundra / Kandla ports located 25/50 kms away. Daily 150-200 trucks are needed to carry coal from the port to the power plant.
5. Desalination plant will be used for supply of potable water/ Dematerialized water for the boiler feed of the power plant.
6. Type of cooling system is NOT a once through cooling system. It is a sea water cooling tower designed to reduce intake of sea water. However, it is not clear whether the cooling system is a closed cycle cooling system or an open system with helping tower as the water balance diagram shows a Cooling Tower blow down of 1500 m3/hr.
7. Nearly 540 lakh litres of water will be drawn from the sea in a day and nearly 360 lakh litres of water will be discharged into the sea in a day.

8. Nearly 9,000 tonnes of Flyash will be generated every month.

9.Acidic gases such as Sulphur Oxide and Nitrous Oxide will be released by the power plant.