CHENNAI: Coming as a major relief to fishermen and environmentalists who have been opposing the mushrooming of industries in Ennore-Pulicat wetlands, the Expert Appraisal Committee of the Environment Ministry has returned the Kamarajar Port’s application to construct petrochemical and fertilizer units in this region.
The Rs 317-crore project will consist of a coastal employment unit comprising several chemical and metallurgical industries that are highly polluting in nature. The port had approached the Ministry to allocate a whopping 322 acres for this purpose.
The committee, in response, said on Tuesday that it was difficult to ascertain the impact of the project as approvals were submitted one by one. The committee would visit the project area, according to minutes of the meeting. It also observed that site selection for the proposed industrial estate was not made according to the guidelines of Central Pollution Control Board’s programme on Zoning Atlas for siting of Industries.
‘Port will decide whether to apply again for clearance’
Fishermen residing in the Enoore-Pulicat region said they considered this development a huge victory. "Such industries and power plants are killing the Ennore-Pulicat wetlands by converting it into an industrial real estate. This will harm our livelihood, aggravate water scarcity and increase the risk of flooding in Chennai," said fisherman D Selvaraj of Kattukuppam.
Nithyanand Jayaram, a Chennai-based environmentalist who spearheaded many campaigns against industrialization of this region, said Kamarajar Port Limited is a repeat offender and was recently fined by the National Green Tribunal for illegal reclamation and improper restoration of Ennore wetlands.
Sunil Paliwal, Chairman of the port, said they will soon take a call on whether to drop the project or apply again for clearance. "According to the new CRZ maps, a significant portion of our land cannot be developed. Because of this and the committee's decision we will be reassessing the land requirement for the project," he said.