Kerala High Court orders independent study on Vizhinjam port erosion
The court invalidated a government-appointed committee and directed a new panel of experts to examine coastal erosion near the seaport.
The Kerala High Court has ordered a fresh, independent assessment of coastal erosion around the Vizhinjam International Seaport. On October 30, the court invalidated the findings of the government-appointed Kudale Committee and directed that its report should not be acted upon.
The decision follows a petition filed by 128 residents from fishing villages located within 20 km north of Vizhinjam. The petitioners alleged that port construction, specifically the breakwaters, altered sediment movement, causing erosion on the northern coast and accretion on the southern side.
Residents claimed the shrinking shoreline has damaged houses and disrupted traditional fishing livelihoods. They also alleged that dredging and breakwater construction for the new port aggravated existing erosion issues.
Justice Harisankar V Menon found grounds for concern regarding the independence of the Kudale Committee. The court noted that its chairman, MD Kudale, had previously worked on a technical sub-committee for the development of the Vizhinjam port.
The court observed that Kudale's prior involvement in the project should have prevented his inclusion in a committee tasked with examining its environmental consequences. The petitioners also highlighted a contradiction between the committee's report and a 2010 scientific paper published by Kudale.
The judgment does not halt port operations or new constructions, nor does it establish that the port caused the erosion. However, it mandates a new panel of experts to examine the issue while considering the concerns of affected communities.