The Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change (MoEFCC) has rejected the Kamarajar Port's proposal to locate port facilities on the eastern banks of the Kosasthalaiyar's backwaters in Ennore Creek following a long struggle by local fishermen.
The fisherfolk, however, said their battle to declare all of Ennore Creek off limits for industrial projects will intensify.
The port had planned to develop facilities like office, commercial buildings and parking terminals on the eastern part of the ecologically fragile intertidal salt pans. Environmental and CRZ Clearance accorded to Kamarajar Port for its Phase III expansion dated 30th October 2018 ordered to relocate these facilities. The Environment Ministry ruled, "The water bodies and wetlands are more important than the development activity."
However, the union ministry has allowed Kamarajar Port to construct facilities like coal yards on the western part of the Ennore wetlands.
The expert appraisal committee that recommended the expansion appraised the project based on Draft Coastal Zone Management Plans prepared in 2018 instead of using the approved 1996 plans. "These draft maps do not accurately show the extent of the wetlands. The river does not only expand to the eastern floodplains. We have been asking for the draft maps to be corrected and drawn in line with the natural state of the river. We have not seen the final maps" said RL Srinivasan from Kaatukuppam, one of the main villages in Ennore Creek.
Over the past two decades, Ennore Creek has lost more than 1000 acres of its wetland expanse. "The main demand of the fisherfolk is that no more of the wetlands here must be diverted for any purpose. Our life, livelihood and security depend on it. It is good news that the eastern side has been protected. We will not allow for the western side construction." said D Selvaraj, a fisher elder from the Ennore Anaithu Meenava Grama Kootamaipu.
