Vizhinjam: Battle of pleas rages

A battle of petitions is raging right before the Ministry of Environment and Forests (MoEF)

A battle of petitions is raging right before the Ministry of Environment and Forests (MoEF) expert panel takes up the environmental clearance request for the Vizhinjam international seaport project early next week.

   Weeks after the public hearing on the project was held and the government submitted a hefty 4000-page, 8 kg application and allied documents seeking environment clearance for the Vizhinjam project, the Expert Appraisal Committee (EAC) of the MoEF is literally being ‘bombarded’ with more representations, for and against the ambitious multi-crore proposal.

   With one section of hoteliers and resort owners camping in New Delhi to ‘lobby’ against the port project, the Trivandrum Chamber of Commerce and Industry and the Confederation of Kerala Tourism Industries (CKTI), which support the proposal, shot off letters to the Ministry of Environment and Forests  on Thursday as a counter measure.

   On the same day, another organisation - Change.org - e-mailed a similar petition signed by 2,052 people, urging the MoEF to wave the green flag.

  During a three-day sitting next week, the Vizhinjam project is slated to be considered on Tuesday, according to top officials of the government port company Vizhinjam International Seaport Ltd (VISL).

Related Stories

No stories found.
The New Indian Express
www.newindianexpress.com