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.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Mint
23 minutes ago
- Mint
International Yoga Day 2025: What's open, what's closed on June 21 — Banks, offices, schools, shops, more
The nation is all set to celebrate 11th International Yoga Day today. Wide-scale celebrations will be held across the country as the Centre is organising a multitude of events nationwide. It's time to know what's open and what's closed on Saturday, June 21. Even though International Yoga Day has received worldwide recognition, but the day is not recognised as an official public or bank holiday. Thus, all public and private sector banks, shops and offices will remain open and operate as usual, besides normal operation of public transport. The theme for Yoda day this year is "Yoga for One Earth, One Health." Several government institutions and schools will be hosting yoga events and awareness programs today. As per Reserve Bank of India (RBI) guidelines, banks are closed only on the second and fourth Saturdays and Sundays and remain open on the first and third Saturdays. Since, June 21 is third Saturday, it will be observed as a regular working day for all banks. Delhi Metro commenced train service earlier than usual today as operations started on all lines from 4:00 AM to facilitate movement of Yoga participants. Change in train interval timing was made for morning hours until commencement of passenger services. Currently, summer vacation holidays are underway in government and private schools of most of North Indian states. However, Bihar Education Department issued orders to all District Education Officers to open schools from 6:30 AM to 7:45 AM on the June 21 to mark 'Yoga Sangam.' In view of International Yoga Day, over 70 thousand government schools have been instructed to remain open, and all teachers and school students will be participating in Yoga Day activities today.
Time of India
7 hours ago
- Time of India
Productive part of life lost in hunt for govt job, youth told
Panaji: Youth in several states of India are losing the most productive part of their lives taking competitive exams in the hope of securing govt jobs, said Shamika Ravi , a member of the Prime Minister's Economic Advisory Council. She said this fascination with govt jobs is not only skewing the unemployment rate of the country but also creating a scarcity of skilled personnel for manufacturing and corporate sectors. Ravi, who delivered a lecture on Viksit Bharat @2047 at ICG, said that economists have noticed a peculiar trend called graduate unemployment, where youth between the ages of 18 and 29 willingly decide not to work in the hope of the ideal job. 'We do have, in some states of the country particularly, an unusual fascination for govt jobs. So, there is something where people in their 20s are taking exams after exams, for five to six years,' Ravi said. She said Centre and some states have begun working on policies to 'demystify' govt jobs to make them less desirable. 'That's why we keep saying that govt jobs need to become less attractive not just in terms of salary. It is the leisure, the benefits that come along,' Ravi said. She also noted that unemployment has a close link with a state's governance and business reforms. 'Goa's unemployment rate is around 10%. So, what is it about these states that are developed with very high unemployment?' Ravi said. 'Unemployment is inversely related to how business-friendly the state is. Wealth creation is linked to job creation.' States that are doing well economically are the ones really creating jobs, she said. States that stand out, she said, such as Punjab, Kerala, and Goa, are low on the ease-of-doing-business index. She said, 'We really have to become more business-friendly.' She pointed out that the country's private sector faces an acute shortage of human resources at the mid-management level. 'All industry surveys are telling us that firms are finding it difficult to grow, not because they can't find finance, but because they can't find skilled people,' Ravi said. She added, 'The industry does not just value your degree; it wants actual skills, and there is a gap between the degree and the skill that the market needs. The gap is wide.'
Time of India
10 hours ago
- Time of India
UPA abandoned Mumbai to its fate, Mahayuti saved it with massive infra investment: Amit Shah
Mumbai: Union home minister Amit Shah on Friday said the UPA regime neglected Mumbai, but the BJP-led Mahayuti government "saved" it with over Rs 7 lakh crore of infrastructure projects. Investments in the irrigation sector helped end the spate of farmer suicides in Maharashtra, a problem that had been afflicting the state for many decades, the senior BJP leader said. Speaking at the inauguration of the new headquarters of the Maharashtra Chambers of Commerce, Industry and Agriculture here, Shah said India will move up one place to be the third largest economy by 2026-27, and claimed there has been a "symmetric" development in the country over the last 11 years. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like The Simple Morning Habit for a Flatter Belly After 50! Lulutox With elections to the Mumbai municipal corporation around the corner, Shah said till a few years ago he used to fear what would happen to Mumbai given its problems like population explosion, old and creaking housing, slums, and traffic congestion. Congratulating Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis for reversing the situation, Shah said Fadnavis helped the state, and noted that the state also benefited when Eknath Shinde led the previous government where Fadnavis was deputy CM. Live Events Before 2014, there was a "double engine" government of Manmohan Singh and Sonia Gandhi at the Centre with NCP's Sharad Pawar also being part of it, yet the Congress-led ruling alliance "left Mumbai to its fate" for those ten years, he alleged. "The double engine governments under Narendra Modi (at the Centre), and Fadnavis-Shinde (in the state) have saved Mumbai with investments of Rs 7 lakh crore," Shah said. To highlight the BJP-led government 's achievements, he listed infrastructure projects such as the 337-km Metro network at an investment of Rs 1.50 lakh crore, Rs 1.08 lakh crore Bullet train between Mumbai to Ahmedabad, Rs 80,000 crore, greenfield port at Wadhawan, Rs 17,000 crore Atal Setu trans-harbour bridge, Rs 55,000 crore Versova-Virar sea-link and Rs 60,000 crore Virar-Alibag multimodal corridor. Shah also asked if the people now criticizing the style of functioning of the BJP governments had the vision to plan such projects, and added that if they had implemented such projects, Fadnavis would have been left with nothing to do. There are also accusations and criticism regarding ongoing slum rehabilitation projects, Shah rued, without mentioning any specific project. Notably, the opposition has been targeting the BJP government over the Dharavi redevelopment project involving the Adani group. The Fadnavis government also implemented projects in the rest of Maharashtra, he said, citing the examples of new airports at Shirdi and in Sindhudurg district. When he entered politics, farmer suicides in Maharashtra were being discussed at the global level, Shah said, adding that BJP-led governments boosted investment in irrigation which ensured that farmer suicides ended in the state. Replying to criticism of Maharashtra facing injustice in central allocations, Shah said the total devolutions and grant-in aid to the state increased to Rs 7.82 lakh crore between 2014 to 2024, against Rs 1.91 lakh crore between 2004 to 2014 during the UPA era. Additionally, grants were given to irrigation and infrastructure projects as well, the Union minister said. Shah urged industry chambers like MACCIA to sensitise the government about the challenges faced by its members for better policy outcomes, recalling how suggestions to build the Konkan Railway by lobby groups helped economic growth. Underlining that global events like Israel- Iran and Russia-Ukraine wars are having an impact on the domestic economic activity, Shah said business chambers should engage professional bodies to be relevant, which is possible if they continue to make necessary changes in their functioning. Shah also asked MACCIA to introspect on its own policies and think of how to get young blood into its working.
