Kerala must heed warnings from coast
The cries of agony, anger and resentment emanating from the sands of Kerala’s extensive coast have been ignored for too long. But can no longer be. For the last few days, the Kerala capital has witnessed a massive protest by people from coastal villages. The Latin Catholic Church-led agitation that started in front of the Secretariat has shifted to the site of the Vizhinjam port project, which the Adani Group is developing, and is gaining strength daily. The protesters want the project halted and a detailed study on its possible impact on their lives and the coastal environment. They say the port, still under construction, has already destroyed hundreds of houses and affected livelihoods. The new port is the immediate trigger for the protest, but the issues affecting the fisherfolk are much larger and remain unaddressed. While climate change and developmental activities have affected people’s homes and livelihoods, middlemen and apathetic administration have added to their desperation.
Stopping the construction of the port is not an option before the Central and state governments, which have already invested viability gap funding of Rs 1,635 crore and Rs 3,436 crore, respectively, in the Rs 7,525 crore project. So, they must immediately deal with the agitation that has brought concerns about the future of Kerala’s coastal community to the forefront. Since the Ockhi cyclone in 2017, their lives have been in total disarray. There were back-to-back floods in the next two years, while Covid lockdowns affected them badly in 2020 and 2021. Kerala has a 600 km-long coastline which is densely populated. The previous government had estimated that 30,000 families living on the coast face the threat of sea erosion and need rehabilitation.
However, the steps to address their woes remain inadequate. Even the rehabilitation scheme announced after Ockhi hasn’t been completed. Ports Minister Ahamed Devarkovil promised to implement a rehabilitation project for all affected fishermen. Given the government’s track record, fishermen can’t be faulted for not trusting his word. This protest is an eye opener for the government to ensure proper livelihood for those hailed as ‘saviours of Kerala’ when the floods ravaged the state in 2018.