Muthalapozhi fishing harbour in danger as Vizhinjam port 1st phase nears completion
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 28 ส.ค. 2024
- Vizhinjam port project began in 2016 and was promoted by the Kerala government in a public-private partnership with Adani Group. As the 1st phase nears completion, an estuary to its north at Muthalapozhi has raised concerns. In the last eight years, 73 people have died in Muthalapozhi. Locals call this area ‘Kerala’s mouth of death’.
The Muthalapozhi fishing harbour is located at the spot where the Vamanapuram river meets the Arabian Sea in the southern part of Kerala. This location is just 39 km from Vizhinjam. When large-scale fishing occurs in the early mornings and late evenings, engine-powered fishing boats returning from the sea often encounter accidents as they reach the harbour mouth. The fishing harbour has two breakwaters which are parallel to each other.
A ‘breakwater’ is a wall-like structure made of rocks and tetrapods laid perpendicular to the shore and deep into the sea to prevent erosion. Every monsoon, sea waves surge into the unscientifically constructed channel from the west, while an equally strong river water drift pushes back from the east.
The reason for this could be the accumulation of sand from the river and the sea beneath the water in the channel area. It creates underwater mounds, leading to waves colliding and rising with deadly force from both directions. The rocky edges of the breakwaters strike boats, causing them to crash and collapse.
As recently as July 8, there was a providential escape for 21 fishermen when their boat capsized after hitting the breakwaters, and they all fell into the sea.
The only way to ensure the safety of the channel is to remove the accumulated sand periodically. This responsibility now lies with Adani Vizhinjam Port Private Limited (AVPPL), which is undertaking the Vizhijam port construction.
Adani was obliged to clear the accumulated sand as part of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) it signed with Kerala’s harbour engineering department in 2018. The agreement primarily granted Adani Ports permission to dismantle the northern portion of the southern breakwater of Muthalapozhi harbour to construct a loadout facility.
This facility was intended to store the rocks that the company transported in barges from various places in Kerala and Tamil Nadu to construct the breakwater of the Vizhinjam Port.
In return, the government requested continuous dredging of the Muthalapozhi channel and maintaining its depth at 5 metres to ensure fishing boats do not scrape against sand or rock. Adani Ports also agreed to periodically maintain the harbour’s two breakwaters.
But Adani Ports has failed to uphold its end of the agreement over the past four years, and now claims it no longer needs the Muthalapozhi facility to transport stones as the construction of the breakwater in Vizhinjam is nearly complete.
Despite this, the MoU remains in effect, and the Kerala government is urging Adani to fulfil its commitment, considering the significant concessions and resources the state has provided for the construction of the massive transhipment terminal.
On its part, Adani has blamed Cyclone Tauktae and the Kerala government for the dredging work having not taken place in the last four years.
“You don’t have to dredge the channel. Sand bypassing prevents sand accumulation in the channel. This has to be done continuously,” A J Vijayan, a well-known ocean scientist, told DTE.
Down to Earth is Science and Environment fortnightly published by the Society for Environmental Communication, New Delhi. We publish news and analysis on issues that deal with sustainable development, which we scan through the eyes of science and environment.
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No matter what happens India needs this strategic port at all costs that can reduce the logistics cost of transferring goods from Colombo due to lack of 20 or more meter depth port in India. Now considering only vizhinjam port has 20-24 meter depth and it's a huge advantage to bring in mother ships. Also taking the fact that China owns a port in srilanka which implies the importance of this vizhinjam port in India.
Very true, Vizhinjam port is of huge strategic importance too given the recent geopolitical developments in the region.
Even before vizhinjam port muthalpozhi have seen such accidents. The main reason for the accident is due to the unscientific design of breakwaters. When the sea waves enter a narrow path, the sea waves tend to increase in height that's the reason for high waves and accidents.
If this region is dangerous for small boats, it should be signposted and small boats should be stopped from entering the dangerous waters.
😂 According to D2E lets go back to stone age.
I don't think it's due vizhinjam port . I think it's due to global warming and illegal fishing .
If vizhinjam port don't exists this sea tides will happens.
1. **Warming Ocean:** The Indian Ocean is warming at a higher rate compared to other oceans worldwide. This warming trend has serious implications for the region.
2. **Rising Sea Levels:** Coastal areas around the Indian Ocean are likely to experience continuous sea level rise due to global warming. This can lead to severe coastal erosion and frequent flooding in low-lying regions.
3. **Indian Ocean Dipole:** Climate change impacts the Indian Ocean dipole, a phenomenon where sea water temperatures on one side of the ocean are significantly warmer or cooler than the other. This can lead to extreme weather events like megadroughts in East Africa and severe flooding in Indonesia.
4. **Heat Waves and Flooding:** India, in particular, will witness increased heat waves and flooding as irreversible effects of climate change due to the warming Indian Ocean
Addressing these challenges requires collective action and cooperation among nations in the region. The Indian Ocean Rim Association (IORA) has the potential to play a crucial role in protecting the region's interests amid the unfolding climate crisis. Let's hope for greater awareness and collaborative efforts to safeguard our oceans and coastal communities. 🌊🌏
Source: Conversation with Copilot, 7/16/2024
(1) Climate Change Is the Biggest Threat to Indian Ocean Security. thediplomat.com/2021/08/climate-change-is-the-biggest-threat-to-indian-ocean-security/.
(2) How climate change impacts the Indian Ocean dipole, leading to severe .... phys.org/news/2023-01-climate-impacts-indian-ocean-dipole.html.
(3) How climate change impacts the Indian Ocean dipole, leading to severe .... phys.org/news/2023-01-climate-impacts-indian-ocean-dipole.pdf.
(4) Indian Ocean warming at faster pace, India to see more heat waves .... www.business-standard.com/article/current-affairs/indian-ocean-warming-at-faster-pace-india-to-see-more-heat-waves-report-121080901305_1.html.
ChatGPT piece?
Totally agree with you global weather patterns have changed significantly over the last few years ,owing in part to global warming and reduced human activity during COVID pandemic and it's subsequent aggravation after the threats were eliminated.For instance the last 2 summers here in Canada were almost entirely rainy which is significantly different from the years before.And winters were less harsher and were a bit extended.
With due respect, do you have any options??
Don't you need developments?
Everywhere it is danger prone to environment.
Now what india will do??
Better you guys provide environmental support or hacks or suggestions
Kindly stop this weakening effort.
Using fisherman sentiment to fight agaist adani by seeing adani as modi by religious and other interested foreign supported agencies
Nonsense... India needs this port. Other areas will be reserved for fish habitats
The ONLY concerns are from China and Dubai who will feel the competition 😂😂
Down To Earth- "Analysis on environment and science issues | India, South Asia, Africa, Latin America" Hmm Interesting it seems there are no 'Environment and science issues' in North America, China, and East Asia. 😆 you sepoys must be well-paid with all that hard work.
Paid by someone to destroy the scope of the port
Please do a study on Environmental effects of construction of Vallarpadam Container Transshipment Terminal operating at 49% Capacity incurring heavy losses in cost of dredging and struggling to return a profit,Over a period of 30 years multiple environmental studies have been conducted to study the environmental impact of this port all have been positive and have given this project the greenlight.This is petty regionalism or paid propaganda from competing ports and is just a gimmick.D2E should do due diligence in its research.Plus no effort has been taken to prevent the shore erosion from State Government.If India doesn't have this port it wont be competitive enough in Maritime trade incurring heavy losses in revenue,Are we going to sit and watch other countries making money at our expense or do we start making adequate infrastructure to compete with them?
Is the breakwater at Muthalapozhy constructed in the correct way / direction. From the various videos I have seen, it appears that the breakwaters are constructed on the North side & South side of the fishing harbour entrance. The entrance is kept directly opened to the Arabian Sea & this doesn’t give any protection. Waves can travel directly into the harbour entrance & there’s no protection by the breakwaters existing there now…..and hence the accidents.
The predominant direction of weather in this area being SW, the south side breakwater should be L shaped
None of them are using PPE. First ask fisherman's to use proper PPE, like life jacket and life bouy etc. Then go to the rough sea. If that place is danger shift to another place
"XYZ Project gets built"
Environmentalist - Concerning , worrying , Alarming, Hazardous ,
Everything Adani does describes the above words
Have you listened what he is saying or your mind is so filled with your own conclusions
Ha here they come
😂😂😂😂😂😂Really???
A transhipment Mother port is more important than a fishing harbour. Port is the backbone of a country's trade. Then from D2E iam waiting to watch the environmental problems and efficiency of vallarpadam .
Eye opener
*Thanks Down to Earth 🌎*
It must be right to dredge than obligation to dredge.
India's first Mega Deep Water Automated MOTHER PORT Vizhinjam Trivandrum THE TRASHIPMENT HUB Vizhinjam Trivandrum THE GATEWAY OF INDIA FUTURE Is HERE
we can remove the sand and clear the pathway. we need to plan and arrange eco projects without damaging and violating natures eco principles
Kochi lobby 😠
I can't pronounce vijinihan
Thank you sir
Speaking against progress and India. The arguments are mere nonsense.
Adani company has no history of serving the interest of local population. Its only motive is securing more and more money facilitated by Adani’s dearest yaar Modi
right and the jobs created for construction of the ports, handling of cargo, management of ports will be done by whom again ? All locals. Ports are the lifeline of a country.
Vizhinjam port is a special purpose government company, fully owned by the Government of Kerala, that would act as an implementing agency for its development. In 2015, the Adani signed a 40-year agreement with the state government to build and maintain the port. Under this private public partnership deal, the Adani group would design, develop, finance, operate the port valued at 7,525 crore. According to the signed deal, Adani Group will have the only right to operate the port under licence for the first 40 years, and then for an additional 20 years if they builds the second phase of the project at its own expense during the first 30 years.
Could have just googled about it, that it was not Modi but Kerala government which awarded Adani contract.
What can you expect from WhatsApp passout Pappu follower Madrasa Chap.
One day adani will buy whole country.
😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂
Privatization of this nature are always bottom line..profit
Vizhinjam is an unscientific scheme. Vizhinjam is an ill-suited place for a port. That is why central government, dp world and many other companies abandoned this project long ago. But this port was the demand of Trivandrum regionalist lobby. They should bring big projects including orr to Trivandrum in the name of Vizhinjam. In this way, all the upcoming projects of Kerala should be transferred to one of them. So the intention is to make Trivandrum an artificial city and run a huge real estate business. But their real goal which they keep deep inside is the growth of Trivandrum above Kochi...!! For that, he used his influence in the government to make a corrupt deal and gave the money and wealth of Kerala to Adani to build this unscientific and artificial port.
The only scientific port is Vallarpadom, with a natural draft of 8 to 9 metres. For maintaining a draft of 14 metre, Cochin port trust who is maintaining the channel at Vallarpadom is pumping crores of rupees which is eating in to the revenue of Cochin Port Trust. DP world has visited Vizhinjam in 2001 for setting a Container Port and they have expressed interest in the project. But after one year news came that they are investing in Vallarpadom. DP World may have understood that setting up a Deepwater container port would diminish the prospects of Dubai port which is one among the transhipment port which caters to Indias export and import. What DP world is doing is in the disguise of Container transhipment they are still using Dubai and Colombo. During the commissioning of DP World Vallarpadom facility they have an understanding with the state government that Govt will not take up Vizhinjam with in 15 years after commissioning of Vallarpadom
Get lost. Let the fisherpeople relocate to other places. This youtuber can arrange for relocation. We Trivandrum people needs huge development, not some useless fishing harbour