[Reader-list] KOVALAM ARTIFICIAL REEF: GROUPS DEMAND JUDICIAL ENQUIRY

[Anivar Aravind]

*MEDIA RELEASE*

*Kerala Swatanthra Matsya Thozhilali Federation & Kerala Tourism Watch*

*KOVALAM ARTIFICIAL REEF: GROUPS DEMAND JUDICIAL ENQUIRY*

*16**th** September 2010,**Thiruvananthapuram: *Kerala Independent Fish
Workers Federation (KSMTF) and Kerala Tourism Watch demands from the
Government of India and the State Government, a comprehensive judicial and
scientific enquiry, as well as a social audit to analyze the failed aspects
and evaluate the overall process of the Artificial Reef in Kovalam.

The Reef has proven itself to be a failure in Kerala, however, more reefs
are being planned in India using Asian Development Bank (ADB) and World Bank
funds in other states like Goa, Maharashtra, Karnataka etc, majority of
which are tourism hotspots. The ongoing washing up of geo-textile bags, the
key component of the reef, to Kovalam and nearby sea shores, starting two
weeks after its inauguration is a serious cause of worry. Diversion of `8
crores of Tsunami Rehabilitation funds provided by the Planning Commission,
Government of India, meant for coastal communities was wasted on tourism
infrastructure while Tsunami affected communities’ need for rehabilitation
still waits to be addressed.

The multipurpose reef implemented under the disguise of promoting fisheries,
coastal protection, tranquillity for fishery activity and tourism potential
has proved to be an irony. The fishermen expressed their concern that shore
seine fishing nets were yielding damaged portions of the artificial reef
rather than the increased fish resources promised to them.

At the same time the New Zealand based MNC, ASR Limited is engaged in
aggressive propaganda and lobbying for more reefs, highlighting the Kovalam
artificial reef as an undisputable model. The Kerala Tourism department is
also providing the much needed fodder to their campaign by publishing
reports that act as advertising manuals for the company. The Kerala Tourism
or officials within the department, seem to have taken up the mandate of
promoting this company as part of their tourism promotion agenda. It is
interesting to note that both the department and ASR groups do not talk
about the portions of the reefs being washed ashore.

The project itself was granted to ASR using a single tender process in which
the technical bid was evaluated by the then Tourism Director and director of
Centre for Earth Science Studies (CESS), Thiruvananthapuram. While the
technical expertise of the tourism director is questionable, the director of
CESS has been associated with ASR at various levels. No Environment Impact
Assessment (EIA), Social Impact Assessment (SIA) and Fisheries Impact
Assessment were insisted on for such a major geo-physical intervention.

The initial project proposal was for 3000 m3 and cost `4 crores .The project
received a facelift midway, where its volume increases by a mere 1000
m3while the cost doubled to
`8 crores. The calculation in its absurdity has been approved by the
concerned government agencies. These facts lead us to look at the whole deal
with suspicion.

A judicial enquiry is needed to expose the unholy nexus between bureaucrats,
scientists and MNCs for using public money with vested interests. ASR Ltd
had been lobbying to get the reef project done in Kerala for quite some
time. The Coastal Marine Task Force of the Planning Board, Kerala Government
earlier rejected the proposal for artificial reefs in Kerala. However the
Kerala Tourism Department had no inhibitions in approving the same project
using Tsunami funds.

Information sought through Right To Information Act regarding the project
details have been denied. The Kerala Tourism department takes a comical
stand here by providing no information on their award winning web site about
the publicly relevant information, at the same time pushing subjective,
opiniated and misleading reports promoting the reef. This lack of
transparency and accountability clearly projects itself through these
actions.

ASR has recently been part of the group who prepared a “Sustainable Coastal
Protection and Management Project Report” worth thousands of crores,
suggesting reefs as a major portion of the solution for coastal
protection/restoration and management in coastal areas of the country. As a
seemingly strategic move, in this Report, CESS has been mentioned as a key
institution in the field of coastal environment and engineering.

The recent artificial reef in UK, the first of its kind in Europe, created
by ASR Ltd. is receiving much brickbats for not yielding the promised
results. The area council has withheld a portion of the money payable to ASR
limited and has conducted an enquiry to review the reef because of its
ineffectiveness. It is interesting to note that the cost estimate even in
this case was escalated mid-way through the project.

In these contexts Government of India’s efforts to borrow money from ADB and
World Bank for constructing artificial reefs as a coastal protection measure
has to be withdrawn at this stage. The government should stop following such
capital intensive and ineffective models. As civil society groups we also
demand full transparency from the Kerala Tourism department. Therefore we
call for a comprehensive judicial enquiry and a transparent social audit to
evaluate the reef.

For more information please contact:

*www.keralarourismwatch.org*

Name

Contact Number

E-mail

Ravindran Nair, Former Joint Director, Department of Fisheries

9447974903

*ravinairs at gmail.com*

Sanjeev Ghosh, Former Additional Director, Department of Fisheries

9447957408

*sanjeevaghosh at gmail.com*

*sanjeevaghosh at yahoo.com*

Advocate Sandhya, Lawyer with Human Rights Law Network

9847032397

*kandalilsandhya at yahoo.com*


   V. B. Ajayan, RIGHTS

9895500717

*ajaydalit at gmail.com*

Dr. K. Soman, Former Scientist, CESS

9847083000


   T. Peter, President, KSMTF)

9447429243

*peter.ksmtf at gmail.com*

K. C. Sreekumar, President, Theeradesha Samrakshana Samiti, Allapad

94477985909


   Anto Elias, Secretary, KSMTF

9656860402




-- 
"[It is not] possible to distinguish between 'numerical' and 'nonnumerical'
algorithms, as if numbers were somehow different from other kinds of precise
information." - Donald Knuth



-- 
"[It is not] possible to distinguish between 'numerical' and 'nonnumerical'
algorithms, as if numbers were somehow different from other kinds of precise
information." - Donald Knuth