The Environment Impact Assessment (EIA) for the Vizhinjam project is inaccurate vis a vis the impact on the tourism industry focused in Kovalam and nearby regions, the Kerala Hotel and Restaurant Association (KHRA) patron G Sudhiesh Kumar has alleged.
In a statement here, Sudhiesh Kumar said that L&T Ramboll, which has performed the EIA for Vizhinjam International Seaport Ltd (VISL), has limited its study on the impact on the tourism sector to the Phase I development of the project alone.
Since the project is conceived in three phases, a ‘factual and technical inconsistency’ in the EIA report has been exposed, he said.
‘’The L&T Report stated that tourism sector jobs lost only number about 3,000 within the project stretch. However, the consultants have limited their assessment to a superficial study within the port breakwaters and ignored the risk of oil spills and accidents causing beach pollution to the Kovalam, Vizhinjam and Poovar stretch which employs over 25,000 persons and generates revenues of close to Rs 6,000 crore per annum,’’ he said.
‘’The failure to address these risks in a comprehensive manner for the tourism industry in Kovalam, Vizhinjam and Poovar highlights the lack of accuracy of the EIA Study consultants,’’ Sudhiesh said.
He also flayed reports that the tourism-related constructions in the region are in violation of CRZ norms. Resorts and tourism establishments in Kovalam, Vizhinjam and Poovar are within the 500-metre distance from the coastline as per CRZ norms. The buildings stated to be CRZ violations in the EIA report are built with panchayat permission. Thus, the statements in the report that these resorts are per se CRZ violations are incorrect, he said.