CHENNAI: As the public hearing for the proposed Kattupalli Port expansion by Adani nears, the clamour for a change of venue or even cancellation is growing.
The public hearing for the 'Proposed Revised Master Plan Development of Kattupalli Port' by Adani Ports and SEZ's subsidiary Marine Infrastructure Development Private Ltd (MIDPL) is scheduled on January 22 at Bhagavaan Mahaveer Auditorium in Shree Chandraprabhu Jain College in Minjur of Tiruvallur district.
Many local villagers, who are likely to be affected by the proposed project, allege that the venue of the public hearing was nearly 20 km from the project site and was part of a deliberate attempt to
discourage people from voicing their opposition.
The current application from MIDPL is for environmental clearance for a Rs 4,000 crore port and harbour project in Kattupalli and Kalanji that is part of a Rs 53,400 crore masterplan. Minjur has nothing to do with the port and harbour project.
K Dhanalakshmi Kadali, 13th ward councilor of Minjur Panchayat Union who wrote to Tiruvallur collector and Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board (TNPCB) seeking change of venue, told The New Indian Express: "As per Appendix IV, Clause 7 (iii) of Environment Impact Assessment (EIA) Notification, 2006, the public hearing should be held at the site, or in its close proximity. The intention of authorities is clear, they just want to complete the formality without any fuss. Lesser the people's participation, better it is for them. It is not possible for people to travel 20-30 km," she said and added that there was no response to her letter from the district administration.
There are court judgements as well that spell the legal position on the sanctity of public consultation and the procedures to be followed. The Supreme Court of India judgement in Hanuman Lakshman Aroskar vs Union of India [(2019) 15 SCC 401], has held that conducting a public hearing at, or in close proximity to the project site to ascertain the views of "locally affected persons" is a feature that is crucial to the success of the public consultative process.
The court also urged that "public consultation cannot be reduced to a mere incantation or procedural formality which has to be completed to move on to the next stage. Underlying public consultation is the important constitutional value, that decisions that affect the life of individuals must, in a system of democratic governance, factor in their concerns which have been expressed after obtaining full knowledge of a project and its potential environmental effects."
Paranthaman, a fisherman from Lighthouse Kuppam, said the public hearing was about 28 km from his village. "Though people know the Adani port project will bring harm to them, the difficulty in travelling such a long distance is putting them off from participation. Only a few of us are planning to hire vehicles and go to voice the concerns. In our view, the authorities should cancel the event."
Similar concerns were expressed by Masthaan from Arangankuppam, which is north of the port's boundary and likely to witness rapid erosion. Almost all opposition parties have already registered their discontent and termed the Adani Port project "illegal" and called for cancellation of the scheduled public hearing.
On Monday, Kalanidhi Veeraswamy, MP from North Chennai constituency, wrote to the Tiruvallur collector, requesting for cancellation of the public hearing alleging that the project was coming up on the eroding coastal stretch and would threaten the ecologically sensitive Pulicat lake. He alleged that the project proposes to usurp over 1,300 hectares of poramboke lands, of which more than 1,000 hectares are classified as various wetlands, including ponds, waterways, springs, salt marshes and salt pans which cannot be converted into industrial real estate.
Tiruvallur collector P Ponniah did not respond to calls or messages by The New Indian Express.