Vizhinjam International Seaport is an under-construction port in Thiruvananthapuram conceived 25 years ago. The construction of the port began in 2015 when the Kerala cabinet awarded the port and deep-water container transshipment terminal to Adani Ports and SEZ, the sole bidder. Vizhinjam International Seaport Limited (VISL) is a special purpose government company (fully owned by Government of Kerala) that acts as an implementation agency for the state government for the development of the port. The deep water sea port is on 360 acres of land (of which 130 acres have been reclaimed from sea) will have the capacity to handle 80 per cent of India’s cargo.
The project has faced opposition from environmental activists, local fishermen and the tourism industry. They allege that the port would cause largescale coastal erosion. In 2016, two environmental activists in Thiruvananthapuram filed a plea at the National Green Tribunal (NGT) against the port. But the NGT refused to cancel the environment clearance, although it later allowed a review plea to be filed. Lawyer Prashant Bhushan representing fisherman's near Vizhinjam also filed a petition demanding stay on port work until the environmental impacts of the project were reassessed. However, the Supreme Court ruled instead that work would continue and that Adani Group and the Government of Kerala would be held responsible for “restoring the environment to its original position if the court thought it fit to interfere with construction activity”.
Local fisherfolk allege that their access to the sea has been blocked since the commencement of the project. Going by the experience of fishing communities near other ports, they fear that they will be pushed further away from the sea and will lose access to more of their fishing grounds if the port is completed.
The fisherfolk community also allege of delayed compensation and non-rehabilitation of families who gave their land for the project. In October 2017, local people protested against the delayed compensation. On October 30, 2018, fisherfolk from Vizhinjam joined their counterparts in a countrywide protest to oppose the shipping corridor. There are 18,000 cases seeking rehabilitation and compensation were being filed by August 2019, however, the government didn't make any payouts citing the election as reason for delays.
The impact has become evident of late. In a report in October 2020, T. Peter, general secretary of the National Fishworkers Forum claimed that the coastal erosion has already left 172 families homeless. Environmental activist Thomas Lawrence also expressed concern stating that in 2019 itself, around 603 people belonging to 143 families from the villages were shifted to relief camps due to incursion of the sea. However, both the Adani Vizhinjam Port Pvt Ltd and the Kerala government firmly deny of any coastal erosion and ecological destruction. The compliance report of the seaport project for October 2019-March 2020, issued by Adani Vizhinjam Port Pvt Ltd in consultation with the Kerala government, states that there is no shoreline degradation in the area as projected by those who oppose the project.
In August 2022, members of the fishing community affected by the port began a two week sit-in at the project site. They are protesting the coastal degradation occurring due to the dredging being conducted for constructing the port. And demanding the rehabilitation package promised to the project affected persons be implemented fully, among other things.
Demand/Contention of the Affected Community
Demand for promised compensation
Demand for rehabilitation
Complaint against procedural violations
Opposition against environmental degradation
Demand to retain/protect access to common land/resources
Other Demand/Contention of the Affected Community
Region Classification
Rural
Type of Land
Common and Private
Non-Forest (Other than Grazing Land)
What was the action taken by the police?
How many people did the police detain or arrest?
What is the current status of the detained/accused persons?
Did the person face any violence while in police custody?
If any arrests took place, were the accused persons produced before a judge within 24 hours of the arrest?
If the accused was not produced before a magistrate within 24 hours, or not produced at all, what were the reasons?
Legislation under which the accused was charged
Was the accused person informed of their right to legal representation? Did the accused person have access to legal aid?
In cases where the accused person approached the court for bail, was bail granted?
Why was bail granted or rejected? If granted, what were the bail conditions and quantum of bail?
Details of sources (names of accused, names and numbers of any lawyers, names of any police officers contacted)
Status of Project
Original Project Deadline
Whether the Project has been Delayed
Significance of Land to Land Owners/Users
Whether the project was stalled due to land conflict
Source/Reference
Total investment involved (in Crores):
₹
6595
Type of investment:
Cost of Project
Year of Estimation
1990
Has the Conflict Ended?
When did it end?
Why did the conflict end?
Categories of Legislations Involved in the Conflict
Land Acquisition Laws, Environmental Laws, Central/State Government Policy
Legislations/Policies Involved
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Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.
Whether claims/objections were made as per procedure in the relevant statute
What was the claim(s)/objection(s) raised by the community?
What was the Decision of the Concerned Government Department?
Legal Processes and Loopholes Enabling the Conflict:
Non-rehabilitation of displaced people
Legal Status:
In Court
Status of Case In Court
Disposed
Whether any adjudicatory body was approached
Name of the adjudicatory body
Name(s) of the Court(s)
National Green Tribunal Principal Bench, New Delhi
Case Number
Original Application No. 74 of 2014
Main Reasoning/Decision of court
Major Human Rights Violations Related to the Conflict:
Whether criminal law was used against protestors:
Reported Details of the Violation:
Date of Violation
Location of Violation
Government Departments Involved in the Conflict:
Vizhinjam International Seaport Ltd
PSUs Involved in the Conflict:
Adani Vizhinjam Port Private Limited, Vizhinjam International Seaport Ltd
Did LCW Approach Government Authorities for Comments?
Name, Designation and Comment of the Government Authorities Approached
Corporate Parties Involved in the Conflict:
Adani Ports and Special Economic Zone Limited
Did LCW Approach Corporate Parties for Comments?
Communities/Local Organisations in the Conflict:
Residents of Vizhinjam
What was the action taken by the police?
How many people did the police detain or arrest?
What is the current status of the detained/accused persons?
Did the person face any violence while in police custody?
If any arrests took place, were the accused persons produced before a judge within 24 hours of the arrest?
If the accused was not produced before a magistrate within 24 hours, or not produced at all, what were the reasons?
Legislation under which the accused was charged
Was the accused person informed of their right to legal representation? Did the accused person have access to legal aid?
In cases where the accused person approached the court for bail, was bail granted?
Why was bail granted or rejected? If granted, what were the bail conditions and quantum of bail?
Were there any other notable irregularities that took place, or other significant details?
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