Latest news with #C.Berlin
The Hindu
3 days ago
- General
- The Hindu
Kerala shipwreck: Fishermen, activists raise alarm over microplastic pollution on Kanniyakumari coast
The fishermen and the activists from Kanniyakumari district have already been raising their concerns over the environment threats to their coastal habitat, including serious opposition against the proposed hydrocarbon project in the waters off Kanniyakumari. Adding to the list, there are serious concerns about tiny plastic pellets (nurdles) which have been washing ashore for the past few days along the coastal areas of Kanniyakumari. Earlier they were detected as far as Kadiyapattinam from Neerodi, but currently the spread has extended to Rajakamangalamthurai. While the debris that had washed ashore along the coastline of Kanniyakumari is described as non-hazardous, the pellets remain a dangerous pollutant. Their impacts and their breaking up into nano plastics, will eventually enter into the food chain, according to an activist from the district. Johnson Charles, another activist from Colachel said the people of Kanniyakumari and Kerala were known for their dietary habits, where fish plays a huge role. He added, 'So far, these tiny plastic pellets had washed ashore along the coast of Kanniyakuamri and Kerala. But once the southwest monsoon intensifies, there are high chances they will drift even further than the current places.' He noted that the sunken cargo vessel MSC ELSA 3 was carrying more than 600 containers, including containers having hazardous materials and other cargo carrying tiny plastic pellets and other materials. There was no adequate information available about the full list of contents. 'This will definitely cause prolonged and irreversible damage to the food chain,' he added. The major impact of these microplastics are some aquatic organisms mistake them as food, while other species may intentionally feed on them. The ingestion of chemically contaminated microplastic may introduce toxic pollutants into marine organisms and more widely into the food web. While these microplastics settle in riverbeds and seafloors, impacting the dwelling organism like crabs ,mussels and benthic worms. C. Berlin from Neythal Makkal Iyakkam, said, 'While officials are taking precautions to identify these materials and safely remove them, many unaware people from coastal hamlets are directly handling them out of curiosity, without knowing the risks involved.' He added that currently conservancy workers are engaged in removing these tiny pellets, but the government should take immediate actions to prevent the prolonged damage. He called for an accountability from the shipping company and responsible agencies. 'This is not just a local pollution issue, but a national environmental emergency in making,' mentioned Mr. Berlin. Speaking to The Hindu Kanniyakumari District Collector R. Alagumeena noted that scientists and a team of experts were engaged in taking samples from the affected site, to study about the short and long term effects of these microplastics, noting that it was too early to comment on the issue.
The Hindu
4 days ago
- General
- The Hindu
Fishermen and activists raise alarm over microplastic pollution on Kanniyakumari coast, after debris from sunken ship washes ashore
The fishermen and the activists from the Kanniyakumari district have already been raising their concerns over the environment threats to their coastal habitat, including serious opposition against the proposed hydrocarbon project in the waters off Kanniyakumari. Adding to the list, there are serious concerns about tiny plastic pellets (nurdles) which have been washing ashore for the past few days along the coastal areas of Kanniyakumari. Earlier they were detected as far as Kadiyapattinam from Neerodi, but currently the spread has extended to Rajakamangalamthurai. While the debris that had washed ashore along the coastline of Kanniyakumari is described as non-hazardous, the pellets remain a dangerous pollutant. Their impacts and their breaking up into nano plastics, will eventually enter into the food chain, according to an activist from the district. Johnson Charles, another activist from Colachel said the people of Kanniyakumari and Kerala were known for their dietary habits, where fish plays a huge role. He added, 'So far, these tiny plastic pellets had washed ashore along the coast of Kanniyakuamri and Kerala. But once the southwest monsoon intensifies, there are high chances they will drift even further than the current places.' He noted that the sunken cargo vessel MSC ELSA 3 was carrying more than 600 containers, including containers having hazardous materials and other cargo carrying tiny plastic pellets and other materials. There was no adequate information available about the full list of contents. 'This will definitely cause prolonged and irreversible damage to the food chain,' he added. The major impact of these microplastics are some aquatic organisms mistake them as food, while other species may intentionally feed on them. The ingestion of chemically contaminated microplastic may introduce toxic pollutants into marine organisms and more widely into the food web. While these microplastics settle in riverbeds and seafloors, impacting the dwelling organism like crabs ,mussels and benthic worms. C. Berlin from Neythal Makkal Iyakkam, said, 'While officials are taking precautions to identify these materials and safely remove them, many unaware people from coastal hamlets are directly handling them out of curiosity, without knowing the risks involved.' He added that currently conservancy workers are engaged in removing these tiny pellets, but the government should take immediate actions to prevent the prolonged damage. He called for an accountability from the shipping company and responsible agencies. 'This is not just a local pollution issue, but a national environmental emergency in making,' mentioned Mr. Berlin. Speaking to The Hindu Kanniyakumari District Collector R. Alagumeena noted that scientists and a team of experts were engaged in taking samples from the affected site, to study about the short and long term effects of these microplastics, noting that it was too early to comment on the issue.
The Hindu
12-05-2025
- Business
- The Hindu
Fishers oppose hydrocarbon project at Wadge Bank in Kanniyakumari
Opposition to the proposed hydrocarbon exploration project in the waters of Kanniyakumari has increased among fishers in the region. According to them, though the project had been planned at 35 nautical miles from the shore, the designated area was a vital fishing ground. The Union Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas had issued a notice inviting bids under the Hydrocarbon Exploration and Licensing Policy for exploration of oil and natural gas from three areas in South of Cape Comorin, covering 27,154.80 sq km. Of the three proposed sites, one spans 9,514.63 sq km and the other two, 9,844.72 sq. km and 7,795.45 sq. km respectively. Marine area The region selected for exploration includes the Wadge Bank — a marine area in south of Cape Comorin, rich in fishery resources. Spanning approximately 10,000 sq km, it has long served as an abundant fishing ground. Fishermen associations fear that implementing the project in such a sensitive area would impact the livelihood of fishers from Kanniyakumari, Tirunelveli, Thoothukudi, and Ramanathapuram districts in Tamil Nadu and parts of Kerala, besides harming one of the most ecologically valuable littoral zones in the region. C. Berlin of Neithal Makkal Iyakkam said, 'The place selected for the project falls under the Central government zone, but that does not exempt authorities from consulting the local fishing community....' He further said that fishers who are dependent on Wadge Bank would be affected the most due to the project. Small-scale fishers would be forced to sail longer distances in search of fishing grounds, Mr. Berlin said, urging the government to revoke the proposed project. A Journal on Petroleum and Environmental Biotechnology, released by the Department of Environmental Sciences, Resources and Studies of University of Alaska Fairbanks, highlighted the environmental impacts of hydrocarbon exploration. According to it, drilling and production operations could release pollutants into air and water. Meanwhile, fishermen associations convened a meeting in Nagercoil on Sunday to raise awareness on the potential impact of the project. At the meet, fishers proposed that a memorandum be submitted to the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas, and planned protests in the days to come. Justin Antony, president of International Fishermen Development Trust, said Wadge Bank was a natural barrier that protected the region from disasters. The implementation of the project in south of Cape Comorin could weaken this barrier, he feared. S. Rajeshkumar, MLA from Killiyoor constituency, said a plea pertaining to the project was already submitted in the Assembly and the Tamil Nadu government had not yet granted a no-objection certificate. According to him, there was neither any 'major prior intimation' about the project from the Centre nor a public hearing. He emphasised that the Centre revoke the project.
The Hindu
11-05-2025
- Politics
- The Hindu
Fishers decry hydrocarbon project in Wadge Bank
Opposition to the proposed hydrocarbon exploration project in the waters of Kanniyakumari has increased among fishers in the region. According to them, though the project had been planned at 35 nautical miles from the shore, the designated area was a vital fishing ground. The Union Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas had issued a notice inviting bids under the Hydrocarbon Exploration and Licensing Policy for exploration of oil and natural gas from three areas in South of Cape Comorin, covering 27,154.80 sq km. Of the three proposed sites, one spans 9,514.63 sq km and the other two, 9,844.72 sq km and 7,795.45 sq km respectively. The region selected for exploration includes the Wadge Bank — a marine area in south of Cape Comorin, rich in fishery resources. Spanning approximately 10,000 sq km, it has long served as an abundant fishing ground. Fishermen associations fear that implementing the project in such a sensitive area would impact the livelihood of fishers from Kanniyakumari, Tirunelveli, Thoothukudi, and Ramanathapuram districts in Tamil Nadu and parts of Kerala, besides harming one of the most ecologically valuable littoral zones in the region. C. Berlin of Neithal Makkal Iyakkam said, 'The place selected for the project falls under the Central government zone, but that does not exempt authorities from consulting the local fishing community....' He further said that fishers who are dependent on Wadge Bank would be affected the most due to the project. Small-scale fishers would be forced to sail longer distances in search of fishing grounds, Mr. Berlin said, urging the government to revoke the proposed project. A Journal on Petroleum and Environmental Biotechnology, released by the Department of Environmental Sciences, Resources and Studies of University of Alaska Fairbanks, highlighted the environmental impacts of hydrocarbon exploration. According to it, drilling and production operations could release pollutants into air and water. Meanwhile, fishermen associations convened a meeting in Nagercoil on Sunday to raise awareness on the potential impact of the project. At the meet, fishers proposed that a memorandum be submitted to the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas, and planned protests in the days to come. Justin Antony, president of International Fishermen Development Trust, said Wadge Bank was a natural barrier that protected the region from disasters. The implementation of the project in south of Cape Comorin could weaken this barrier, he feared. S. Rajeshkumar, MLA from Killiyoor constituency, said a plea pertaining to the project was already submitted in the Assembly and the Tamil Nadu government had not yet granted a no-objection certificate. According to him, there was neither any 'major prior intimation' about the project from the Centre nor a public hearing. He emphasised that the Centre revoke the project.
