Thiruvananthapuram (The Hawk): Although a portion of the local population has been protesting the Vizhinjam port project nearby for the past 134 days, state ports minister Ahamed Devarkovil firmly stated that the first ship will dock in the port in September 2023.
"This would be Kerala's Onam gift. The port project has not purchased any fishing community land. There has been no sea erosion as a result of the building, which is being done with the least amount of environmental harm possible "Devarkovil explained the necessity of the Vizhinjam port and its significance for the state's economy during his speech at a seminar.
"This port is a state port; it is neither a private port nor does it belong to Adani. Studies have shown that the local area's fisheries resources have increased by 16% since a decade ago "Added he.
The Vizhinjam police station was ransacked by persons opposed to the project on Sunday, who went on the rampage and inflicted losses of Rs 85 lakhs.
The protests resulted in the injuries of around 35 police officers and a number of demonstrators. Three thousand people were the targets of police cases.
Speaking at the conference, Fisheries Minister V. Abdurahiman stated anyone opposed to the initiative may be deemed anti-national.
"There is more going on at Vizhinjam than just a simple protest. It's not that we are powerless to carry out the court decision; rather, we have been working to reach a consensus "Abdurahiman added.
It's unexpected that Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, who was scheduled to open the seminar, did not appear.
The state government on Tuesday appointed DIG of police Nishanthini with 5 SPs under her to ensure that sufficient security is maintained in the meantime as the situation in Vizhinjam remains critical.
In the final years of the Oommen Chandy administration, from 2011 to 2016, the port project was approved and construction got underway. A lot of damage was done to the port site in 2017 when the Ockhi waves struck, putting the work on hold.
A news story that had previously published in the CPI-M party organ in 2016 and criticised the Chandy government for awarding the project to a corporate entity, Adani, further complicated matters on Tuesday. This story has now gone viral. According to current predictions, this endeavour will fundamentally alter both the state and the economy.
(Inputs from Agencies)