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Karaikal Port Expansion Sparks Environmental Fears
10 Sep
Summary
- Port expansion aims to increase capacity from 21.5 MMTPA to 100.3 MMTPA.
- Expansion involves land reclamation and acquisition, raising pollution concerns.
- Local communities, including fishermen, strongly oppose the project.
Local residents, environmental advocates, and fishermen from Karaikal and Nagapattinam are voicing strong opposition to Karaikal Port Private Ltd.'s proposal to significantly expand its cargo handling capacity. The plan, a subsidiary of Adani Ports and Special Economic Zone Ltd., aims to increase the port's capacity from 21.5 Million Metric Tonnes Per Annum (MMTPA) to 100.3 MMTPA.
Concerns raised during a public hearing include potential severe air and water pollution, and a detrimental impact on groundwater quality. The expansion project, which will increase the port area from 243 hectares to 492 hectares, necessitates land reclamation and acquisition. Affected communities, particularly fishermen, fear that the augmented port activities will severely disrupt their livelihoods and lead to existing health hazards from sea water pollution becoming worse.
The draft Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) details the need for increased handling capacity, especially for crude oil imports via a Single Point Mooring (SPM) system. The plan also includes developing a 50 MLD desalination plant and wastewater treatment facilities within the port premises. However, land acquisition for the expansion is ongoing, with a significant portion requiring reclaimed land and the rest involving private and government land.
