Abandon mini harbour-cum-port project in Puducherry: Water users and farmers' collective urges govt.
In a letter addressed to Lt. Governor K. Kailashnathan, the president of the association V. Chandrasekhar said the Puducherry government had entered into an agreement with IIT, Madras, to a conduct a feasibility study for the creation of a fishing harbour at Moorthikuppam-Pudukuppam in Bahour commune at a cost of ₹93.22 lakh.
'We are completely at a loss to understand why the government is spending huge amounts for a project feasibility study, when already two such proposals — one by the Ministry of Environment and Forests and the second by the World Bank — have been rejected. The project is completely unviable and would result in severe environmental damage to the entire coast of Puducherry, including the artisanal fishermen in the area,' Mr. Chandrasekhar said.
The proposed project is in complete violation of Coastal Regulation Zone (CRZ) rules and will result in irreversible destruction of agricultural lands upstream of the Mullodai channel. No Environment Impact Assessment (EIA) had been carried out so far, and the government should not go ahead with the project, he said.
'Disastrous'
According to the collective, the project would turn out to be disastrous. If the fishing harbour is built at the southern tip of Puducherry's coast, then the entire stretch of the remaining coastline would be completely eroded, destroying the livelihoods of fishermen living to the north of the proposed harbour. It will completely wipe out all tourism-related development, including the Blue Flag beach at Puducherry and the archaeological site of Arikamedu.
Stating that there was no natural connection between the Mullodai lagoon and the sea, Mr. Chandrasekhar said that cutting open the lagoon to the coast would be a disastrous move. The naturally occurring sand dunes in Nallavadu, Panithittu, Narambai, and Manapet coastal villages will be destroyed, resulting in sea water intrusion into the deep aquifers and thus reaching upstream upto Bahour.
The collective demanded that the government abandon the project with immediate effect. The government should also seek an explanation from the Public Works Department and concerned authorities for 'hiding' the facts related to the project, it said.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Hindu
an hour ago
- The Hindu
Blue Flag project to be expanded to three more Chennai beach stretches
Chennai's three beaches — Thiruvanmiyur, Palavakkam and Uthandi — are expected to be developed under the Blue Flag certification programme. Further, the Greater Chennai Corporation (GCC) is set to begin work on the second phase of the Marina Beach Blue Flag project — from the Mahatma Gandhi Statue to Nochi Nagar, opposite the Karaneeswarar Koil Street. After the inauguration of the Blue Flag project at Marina Beach by the Deputy Chief Minister Udhayanidhi Stalin on Sunday, Mayor R. Priya said a total of 30 acres along Loop Road had been planned for the next stage. She further said the Detailed Project Report was being prepared for these sites, and the tender would be finalised soon. The works, estimated to cost over ₹6 crore for each beach, will be funded under the Tamil Nadu: Strengthening Coastal Resilience and the Economy Project, supported by the World Bank. The plan includes new toilets and changing rooms, wheelchair-accessible paths, solar lighting, waste bins, lifeguard stations and grey water treatment systems. Seating areas and Blue Flag programme-compliant signboards will also be installed. Dedicated access for persons with disabilities will be created, according to the GCC. 'A total ₹6.02 crore has been allocated for each beach. The works will take seven months to complete, and the beaches will then be maintained for another year under the same contract by the private party engaged,' an official said. There was no mention of shops in the proposals for any of the four Blue Flag projects. To this, the Mayor said the decision to remove shops in the first phase at Marina Beach received good response from the public. 'This is also crucial to keep the beach clean — a critical criterion for Blue Flag certification. A complex can be set up for authorised vendors, and illegal shopkeepers will be evicted as per GCC regulations,' she said.
Time of India
8 hours ago
- Time of India
SC upholds SEIAA and SEAC's authority for project-level environmental clearances
NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court (SC) has clarified that the State Environment Impact Assessment Authority (SEIAA) and the State Expert Appraisal Committee (SEAC) will remain the competent authorities for granting environmental clearances at the project level. The apex court's ruling resolves a prolonged regulatory deadlock that had stalled over 493 real estate projects in Mumbai Metropolitan Region (MMR) and Pune , impacting more than 70,000 housing units, particularly within the affordable and mid-income segments. The court's intervention is expected to bring much-needed clarity to the process of obtaining environment clearances and is anticipated to restore momentum to housing construction in the region. The petitioners challenged the constitutional validity of a 29 January 2025 notification issued by the Ministry of Environment, Forest & Climate Change (MoEF&CC). This notification provided two main things in relation to Item 8(a) [Building and Construction Projects] and 8(b) [Township Area & Development Project] of the Schedule to the Environment Impact Assessment dated 14 September 2006 ('EIA 2006 Notification'): (a) exemption of industrial sheds, schools, and educational institutions from Environmental Clearance (EC) requirements, and (b) clarification that the General Condition under the EIA 2006 Notification would not apply to such projects. Under the EIA 2006 notification, projects such as Building & Construction and Township & Area Development with more than 20,000 sq meters. Built-up area (BUA) are required to procure an EC before construction can begin. The Schedule of the EIA 2006 notification includes a General Condition (GC) mandating that if a project is within 5km of a protected area, eco-sensitive zone, or inter-state/international boundary, it becomes a category A project, subject to appraisal by the Central Expert Appraisal Committee. The court upheld the constitutional validity of the 2025 notification but struck down Note 1 to Item 8(a) of the EIA 2006 Schedule, which had exempted industrial sheds, schools, and educational institutions from obtaining mandatory environmental clearances. The Court found these exemptions to be unconstitutional and ultra vires the parent notification. The SC also quashed Clause 14(a) and Appendix 16 of the 2014 and 2016 notifications that had proposed establishing an Environmental Cell under local authorities. The Court held that such provisions would cause jurisdictional overlaps and confusion, undermining the integrity of environmental appraisal processes. In its interpretation of the General Condition (GC) under the EIA 2006 Notification—which elevates certain Category B projects to Category A status if located within ecologically sensitive areas, SC reaffirmed that GC does not apply to Items 8(a) and 8(b). This settles ambiguity raised after the Kerala High Court had earlier set aside the 2014 MoEF&CC clarification on this matter in One Earth One Life v. Union of India (March 2024). Impact on real estate development The judgement brings regulatory certainty and uniformity in how environmental clearances are to be administered, particularly for projects over 20,000 sq meters built-up area, which must secure clearance before commencing construction. This decision is expected to unblock stalled housing supply, especially in regions that had been hit by inconsistent interpretations of clearance norms. Domnic Romell, president, CREDAI-MCHI, said, "We initiated this petition to bring clarity to an increasingly complex and ambiguous environmental clearance process , and we are grateful that the Supreme Court has upheld the role of SEIAA and SEAC as competent authorities." Trilegal represented CREDAI National and Godrej Properties. Samit Shukla, partner (Dispute Resolution Practice), Trilegal said, "This judgement brings much-needed clarity on the scope of environmental regulation for real estate projects. The Supreme Court's recognition that General Conditions under the EIA 2006 Notification do not apply to projects under Items 8(a) and 8(b) ensures regulatory certainty and paves the way for timely development." Case No.: W.P.(C) No.-000166-000166 - 2025, Vanashakti vs Union of India.
New Indian Express
14 hours ago
- New Indian Express
4k houses for staff by March 2026: Minister P Narayana
VIJAYAWADA: Municipal Administration and Urban Development (MAUD) Minister P Narayana reaffirmed the government's commitment to completing the construction of Amaravati, stating that all works will be finished within three years despite political conspiracies aimed at stalling progress. He inspected several ongoing projects on Tuesday, including the Sakhamuru Reservoir, Kondaveeti Vagu, Gravity Canal, and Anantavaram Park. Speaking to the media, Narayana emphasised that the construction of 4,000 houses for officials and employees will be completed by March 2026, while roads and drainage works are nearing completion. The minister added that the Dutch authorities have designed flood-prevention canals covering a total of 47.94 km, while reservoirs at Sakhamuru, Krishnayapalem, and Neerukonda are under development to store up to 0.53 TMC of water collectively. The government is expediting these projects to finish canal works by late 2026, ahead of the original October 2027 deadline. 'IIT experts are finalising the layout road designs, which are expected by the end of August,' he said. He noted that annuity for 25,000 farmers has largely been cleared, with 900 cases pending due to incorrect bank details, land sales, or other issues. A special review is underway to resolve these cases. Highlighting international cooperation, Narayana said Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu's recent visit to Singapore had restored ties with the government and industry leaders there. Singapore's National Parks Authority has assured support for Amaravati's blue-green capital vision and riverfront development. ADC Chairperson Lakshmi Parthasarathy and other CRDA officials were present.
