National Union of Fishermen

India is presently the third country in the world (source-CARMA-Carbon Monitoring for Action)with the highest Carbon dioxide emissions ,by 2015 Tuticorin district will  have the distinction of becoming the most polluted area in the world if the short sighted government policies to pool together most of the power plants of Tamilnadu  in a single district –Tuticorin is followed  . Most of countries world wide have given up coal based plants due to the extent of pollution of coal based plants causing acid rain, global warming and irrevocable damage to the marine ecosystem but the authorities here are knowingly treading this proven  disastrous path which will annul all natural resources for sustainability .

A  500 MW coal power plant annually emits about 3700000 MT of Carbon dioxide,10000MT of sulphur dioxide,10000 MT of Nitrogen Oxide and  hydrocarbons,mercury,arsenic,125000 tonnes of ash,193000 tonnes  of sludge apart from the  200 crore litres of water needed to cool the plant, which after cooling  will be obviously let off into the open sea raising the water temperature by 20-25°F causing irrevocable damage to the marine eco system in the region.

In Tuticorin district alone there are about 8000 MW power projects in the pipeline , maximum of which are coal based and are expected to start functioning  by 2015,all the 24 marine fishing villages along the 163.5km stretch of this coastal district are bound to be without any sort of traditional or artisan means of livelihood for the fishermen by 2015.

It is indeed pathetic that in a democratic country the nonviolent legitimate rights and voices are not cared for, all public hearings conducted are mostly  a farce, as on 7.2.2009 at the Tiruchendur public hearing for the proposed 2 x 800 MW power plant for Udangudi Power Corporation Ltd ( A JV of TNEB and BHEL )at Tiruchendur  Rev.Fr.Williams,Mr.Anton Gomez,Ms.Thirumathi VanMalar,Mr.George Jones,Ms.Selvi and Mr.Charles had vociferously voiced their  opinion against this coal based thermal plant as  being environmentally  hazardous and would wipe out all agricultural based activities and  the livelihood resources of  the fishermen in  the coastal  hamlets of the area.

Based on Chennai Anna University’s-Institute of Ocean Management which  is  now becoming a world renowned institute for routinely  issuing  prepared  stereotype Rapid EIAs and EMPs based on inadequate data collection, to suit  its clients interests, even if the  project  is detrimental to the environment and marine ecosystem ,and  is going all out against  accepted   world accepted scientific norms ,has prepared the EIA and EMP for   this project also stating that “there will be no impact on sea water due  to this project ,since the required cooling water will be taken from the sea and the hot water released through open channel and let into the sea” (Ref-Minutes fo public hearing dated 7.2.2009).

Manapad the place visited by St.Francis Xavier in 1542 will be the most affected as this coastal hamlet is  the area where  Udangudi Power Corporation Ltd’s  1600 MW coal based thermal plant and another private based 1320 (2 x 660 MW) coal based plant of  Mr.K.Raghu Rama Raju of Hyderabad ,Citigroup and UTI (Ind –Barath Power Ltd) which also has been given the go-ahead  have planned to draw their cooling seawater and also let the water into the sea at Manpad .

This is the same Hyderabad based Ind-Bharath Thermal Power Company Ltd  which were driven out of Karnataka state  by the Hanakon village people which having a headcount  of 1600 people , now this group has again packed this equipment from Karnataka and shifted this  450 KW coal based power plant again to install it at a location in Tuticorin district apart from this the same group has installed a 450MW power plant and a 210 MW power project at MelaArasadi both in the  stages of completion at Tuticorin district.

It is against this background that on February 7,2010 as a forerunner of things to come the survey vessel M.V.Flamboyan of Fugro Survey which had come to survey the sea area where the activity for the  projects are to be implemented for finalizing the place for drawl and  outlet of sea water from the deep sea as well as for the ECHS –Pipe Conveyor from Manapad coal jetty which is to be at Manapad coast and also a jetty to be located at 7 Km from Manapad inside the sea ,and were blocked by the Manapad fishermen in 13 vallams and taken hostage and later released after consultations with authorities concerned .

This is an indication that the fishermen will go to any length to safeguard their livelihood rights .

In the name of modernization and industrialization and to fill the coffers of the affluent we will be virtually leaving to our future generations, if we remain silent- barren land unfit for any sort of agriculture, polluted ground waters ,seas devoid of any form of organisms, the land which our forefathers had lived, fought for, defended  and  sustained their livelihood in  grandiosity.

JOHN P RAYAN

HP-9443134593

TUTICORIN-628001

TAMILNADU-STATE

Date:11.2.2010

Published as received by muthunagar.com through the e-mail from Mr.John P Rayan dated 11/02/2010