The Kerala government has constituted a four-member Expert Committee to study whether the construction of Adani Group’s Vizhinjam International Seaport Limited (VISL) has caused coastal erosion in the region.

The team consists of MD Kudale,former additional director of Central Water and Power Research Station (CWPRS), Pune, Riji John, Vice-Chancellor, Kerala University of Fisheries and Ocean Studies, Tejal Kanitkar, Associate Professor, School of Natural Sciences and Engineering, National Institute of Advanced Studies (NIAS), Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore and PK Chandramohan, Former Chief Engineer, Kandla Port Trust.

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The expert committee will examine whether there has been any such coastal erosion consequent to the work done for constructing the port at Vizhinjam and identify specific measures to address the coastal erosion, if any, observed in the zone of influence of construction. The committee shall hear the views of the representatives of the local population before finalising the report.

By issuing orders constituting the expert committee, the state government has met one of the most important demands put forward by the coastal community. However, the protesters didn’t welcome the decision to appoint the Expert Committee, as it did not satisfy a crucial demand they had raised. The protesters  have  demanded  that the Expert Committee  should have their representative too .

Thiruvananthapuram archdiocese Vicar-General Fr Eugine H Pereira, who is the general convener of the agitation, said they would continue the protest against the project.

“We were promised that our representative would be included in the committee. Now, the government has constituted a committee with the connivance of the Adani Group to fetch a favourable report for them. We are not taken into confidence. The fishermen’s community has also assigned a parallel study to ascertain the impact of sea erosion caused by the project. We would continue our agitation in the coming days also,’’ he said.

Meanwhile, the Kerala High Court asked the state government to remove the tents at the protest site in front of the entrance of the under-construction Vizhinjam Port. The Adani Port, which moved a contempt of court petition before the court, said a shed erected by the protestors was still in place and alleged that there are obstructions in front of the entrance. They had also requested for police security.

Earlier on August 29, the High Court had said that the construction at the Vizhinjam Port cannot be halted and any complaints with regard to the project can be raised at appropriate forums.