NARAMBAI FISHING VILLAGE FIGHTS AN MNC

FISHING VILLAGE FIGHTS AGAINST M.N.C

Narambai is a fishing village off the Bay of Bengal within the territorial limits of the Union Territory of Pondicherry. There was an attempt to evacuate the entire village to set up an offshore LPG plant from their traditional homes where they were pursuing their profession for centuries. The Congress Government led by V.Vaithialingam gave clearance to this project, which will hurt the fishing village. The Narambai fishing village Panchayat took up cudgels against this move which snow balled into a fight for finish to both sides. We reproduce in verbatim a report from INDIAN EXPRESS dated 27.05.1995.

LPG PROJECT NEAR PONDY COAST-I

VILLAGERS WAKE UP TO ECO PROBLEMS, TO PROTEST

The residents of a cluster of villages in the Union Territory of Pondicherry are getting ready to take on a mega multi crore industrial project which they fear will sound the death knell of not only their livelihood, but also threaten their right to life.

While environmental activists are jumping into the fray to stop this project, an encouraging sign is the manner in which these uneducated villagers are arming themselves with simple technical knowledge on what environmental and health hazards this project may pose for them.

The 30 crore project to be put by the Southern LPG Limited, involves the setting up of an offshore floating terminal for importing LPG, taking the gas to the shore through a pipeline and bottling it. A 40,000 ton capacity LPG tanker will be stationed 2.8 kms off the shore of Narambai, a village 17 kms from Pondicherry. What the villagers and the environmental activists assisting them question is the clearance given to the project by the Ministry of Environment in violation of Coastal Regulation Zone( CRZ) of the Environment Protection Act of 1986. This stipulates that " no petrochemical complex or petroleum refinery including crude and petroleum product pipelines" should be allowed within 500 meters of the High Tide Line. But the project proposed itself says that activity will be within 300 meters of the high tide line.

Slowly Narambai is gaining the support of about 15 surrounding villages in its fight. On Thursday, Narambai Panchayat head A.Chandrasekar and representatives of his and other villages met at Nagamuthu Mariamman temple to voice their fears. Interestingly the temple archaga not only played host, but also participated in the discussion of the hazards  this project will cause to the village when the only means of livelihood is fishing.

According to Chandrasekhar 43 acres of cultivable land has been bought for the project in the heart of Narambai. "A year ago land survey was done, and four months ago when a huge ship came for another survey, we sat up, started asking questions and came to know about this project.

Defending the project Southern LPG General Manager K.Shanmugasundaram said " in a country which is short of LPG, this is a beneficial venture. Those objecting to it are ignorant and do not know that we are taking all safety measures. The LPG will be taken from the ship through submarine pipelines and the bottling unit will be located on the shore. The project should go on stream in four months time.

About CRZ, he said " We are not violating any regulation and the law allows such activity beyond 200 meters from the High Tide Line in cases where the activity requires a water front and foreshore facilities.

But Kishore Vangul, head of the Enviro Legal Cell of the CPR Environment Education Center, a center for excellence of the Ministry of environment points out that even though the CRZ regulations allow relaxation in such issues' several other parameters from Environment Impact assessment notification has to be satisfied. These relate to human settlements and displacement of population. The project report has falsely stated that the project is away from major human settlements and there will be no displacement of the population. Time and again the Supreme Court has come to the rescue of people when there is a threat to right to life and livelihood and both these dangers are very real in this case. the project proposal says 150 people will be given jobs. But for this, is it right to take away the livelihood of thousands of people ?

Director of The CPR Center, Nandita Krishna said " We will first appeal to the company as well as the Ministry to have a reappraisal of the project. if this does not work we will help the people of the region to go to Court, but only as a last resort."

The Environment Ministry cleared the project on January 19, 1995 but subject to certain conditions. one of these is that "adequate distance should be kept from the Narambai village in consultation with the Chief Controller of Explosives." It has also said for "safety reasons the tanker should be moved to high seas on receiving storm warnings and a study should be done on the long term impact of the project on fishing activities and its report submitted to this ministry within a year". But one wonders whether the Ministry should ask for such an assurance after clearing a project?

Environmental Hazards of LPG Project-Part II

KNOWLEDGE IS POWER, DISCOVER THE PEOPLE OF NARAMBAI

When a journalist goes to a fishing village to write about the concern of the local people against the ecological threats posed to them by a massive LPG project to come up at Narambai village in the Union territory of Pondicherry, the last thing she expects to find there is  local youth voicing his concern about environmental degradation in the place by reeling off acronyms like the EPA or CRZ.

But then Ramachandran( name fictitious as he had applied for government job ) though he belongs to the toddy tapping community of Pillayarkuppam has done his M.Sc in Environmental Science from the Center for Pollution Control and Bio Waste Energy of Pondicherry University.

"Already there are 7 chemical industries within a radius of one kilometer from here, and the Pondicherry Papers is discharging its effluents into the sea. During the last three years tube wells up to 15 meters depth have been polluted by these chemical units. For 5 years we had severe problems in getting potable water and only after several representations has the Pondicherry Government taken steps to provide us water during the last 3 months. Though no epidemiological studies have been made to assess the medical problems caused by these chemical industries, in the evenings the area is completely under smoke.

"LPG is highly inflammable and the slightest accident might wipe out villages. And in a water starved area from where they will get water to fight any fire which may break out" he asks.( The clearance granted by the Ministry of Environment to the project clearly stipulates that" No wells should be dug for drawing fresh water from the ground."

While there is such knowledgeable Ramachandiran there are thousands of illiterate villagers in the area. And yet the way they have armed themselves with simple technical knowledge about the proposed LPG project is amazing. Narambai Panchayat President A.Chandraseksar says " As most of us are illiterates, there are only 3 graduates in our village, we went to Pondicherry and with the help of some sympathetic people in the Pondicherry Pollution Control Board, educated ourselves about the adverse effects of this project. After understanding the issue, last fortnight we submitted a representation to the board protesting against the project. But as nothing has come of it we will now meet the Pondicherry Lt.Governor Rajendra Kumari Bajpayee.

What has disappointed him most is that their detailed representation made to the Chief Justice of India on January 1, 1995 appealing for Supreme Courts intervention in the matter has not even got an acknowledgment. The people of the adjoining fishing villages Pudukuppam and Pannithittu have also joined the struggle and a joint line of action has been charted out to include a dharna, hunger strike, rasta roko etc.

Says Youth President of the Panchayat Velayuthan " When a single gas cylinder explodes in a house how many people die ? Here we are talking about 40,000 tons of LPG. When out on the sea, most of us smoke and one lighted beedi carelessly thrown can cause fire to destroy lives and property.Adds Panchayat Vice President V.Jayabalan " If we go anywhere near the LPG terminal our nets will get entangled in those pipes and we can't afford to lose a net which costs around Rs 10,000. Chandrasekar raises a more valid point." During the last few years all kinds of chemical units have cropped up in this region and polluted our water resources. And the Pondicherry Paper Mill discharges its effluent through a pipeline into the sea. Already some of us have lost our nets when got entangled with those pipes. When the mill came up in the late 1970's, we did not envisage this problem. With chemically polluted water our children are constantly suffering from dysentery, cholera and skin diseases. and we do not know what other problems our future generations may face."

Dispelling the fishermen's fears about their nets Mr.Shanmugasundaram from Southern LPG said " As our pipeline will be embedded in the sea, there is no danger to the nets. If there is need we will also help them with their fishing activity." While villagers are on warpath and the company spokesperson says that all necessary precautions have been taken for this first of its kind project in India, it remains to be seen whether public hearing to be organized by the CPR environment center which hopes to involve the National Human Rights Commission will have the desired impact.

News filed by Ms.Rasheeda Bhagat.

Dravida Ilaignar Peravai intervenes

While this issue was heating up no political party came forward to address to the concerns of the villagers. The Secretary of Narambai Village Panchayat Mr.A.Kanagasabai and Treasurer Mahalingam met Dravida  Ilaignar Peravai Convener and sought his support .

 Dravida Ilaignar Peravai, a forum for uniting youth caught between various Dravidian political outfits had made its appearance in May 1994 at the Pondicherry political scene.

Former Minister G.Viswanathan M.A.B.L Ex M.P, currently the Chancellor of Vellore Institute of Technology presided, Former Ministers Azhagu Thirunavukkarasu and S.R.Radha, with L.Ilayaperumal Ex M.P on stage, Dravida Ilaignar Peravai was launched. N.Nandhivarman, a life long DMK activist who was on a 15 year self imposed political exile was called upon to undertake the task of uniting the youth.

The association of Dravida Ilaignar Peravai with Narambai Fishermen Panchayat grew day by day cementing an everlasting bond of comradeship. In the ultimate success of the peoples struggle the role of two journalists must be recorded with gratitude. They are T.Manivannan of The Indian Express and M.Ramachandiran of Dinamani Tamil daily. Mr.T.Manivannan is currently the Bureau Chief of Tamil News at BBC London.