[Reader-list] Fishing Community and Greens Flay Green Signal to Seaplane Project

[T Peter]

  Kerala: Fishing Community and Greens Flay Green Signal to Seaplane Project
http://www.newindianexpress.com/cities/thiruvananthapuram/
Fishing-Community-and-Greens-Flay-Green-Signal-to-Seaplane-
Project/2014/07/06/article2316448.ece

The fishing community and environmentalists in the state are up in arms
against a report by a government-appointed committee which gave a green
signal to the stalled seaplane service. The report of the expert panel,
headed by Tourism Secretary Suman Billa, said the seaplane project will not
impact the ecosystem and livelihood of fishermen. The project, which was
launched in June last year, was put on hold due to fierce opposition from
fishermen.

Claiming that seaplanes will not cause any pollution or affect fish wealth,
the report said that the opposition of the fishermen was "not against the
seaplane project as such but against the deterioration of the environment
and depletion of fish resources".

"The core area needed for the take-off and landing was insignificantly
small when compared to the vastness of the water body," the report said. It
also pointed out that the wave turbulence experienced during landing and
take off was lesser than what is created by a speed boat. "The lives of
nearly 10 lakh inland fishermen will be adversely affected by this project.
It will also sound the death knell for the fish wealth in the backwaters,"
said T Peter, Secretary, National Fishworkers' Forum. "Not a single person
from the fishing community was consulted by the expert panel. The outcome
of the report itself was predictable as a senior government official was
part of the committee," he said.

Though Chief Minister Oommen Chandy launched the seaplane service for
tourists in June last year, the inaugural flight had to return without
landing in Punnamada Lake in Alappuzha as fisherfolk staged a huge protest
against the project. Seaplane service envisages taking tourists from
airports directly to the backwaters and vice versa on a six-seater
amphibian aircraft.

"Apart from the area required for constructing a waterdrome, the seaplane
needs a buffer zone which is around two km long and nearly half a kilometre
wide. Fishing or related activity will be prohibited in this area adversely
affecting the livelihood of fishermen. Also, in the case of an oil leak,
the environmental impact can be disastrous," said noted environmentalist C
R Neelakantan, who was at the forefront of the agitation against the
project.

CPI state secretary Pannian Raveendran, whose party lent support to the
agitation by fishermen last year, said that the seaplane project will
impact livelihood of thousands of people living along the backwaters,
destroy the environment and cause depletion of fish wealth. "Along with
fishermen, the livelihood of people who make a living by lime shell
collection and coir retting will also be affected. For the sake of a few
tourists, the State Government should not risk the livelihood of
thousands," Pannian said. The CPI leader also warned that any plans to
revive the project will invite fierce agitation from the people who will be
affected by it.