Mumbai The ongoing reclamation over 110 hectares of intertidal land in Uran, opposite Mora Jetty in Nhava Sheva for expansion of the Jawaharlal Nehru Port, are allegedly destroying fishing commons in the absence of safeguards to protect local livelihoods. This is despite the same being mandated by a National Green Tribunal-appointed expert committee in June 2021.
The area in question is a low-lying expanse of mudflats, frequented by traditional fishers from Mora Gaon, Gavan Koliwada, Belpada Gaon, Uran Koliwada and Hanuman Koliwada among others. Responding to a petition filed by Dilip Koli, an artisan fisherman from Uran and spokesperson of the Paaramparik Machhimar Bachao Kruti Samiti, the court-appointed committee had last year instructed JNPT to “proactively obtain the suggestions of the Commissioner, Fisheries for safeguarding the local traditional fishing in the area and other related measures with view to safeguard the livelihood of the local fisherfolks.”
This condition, locals say, has not been met by JNPA, though reclamation work at the project site is on in full swing. The NGT-appointed committee had noted that work to expand the fourth container terminal at JNP would “impact the traditional fishing which is the main livelihood of the local fisherfolks”, and instructed the port authority to ensure that “traditional fishing practices of local fisherfolks is not hampered due to the project.” JNPA acquired environmental and coastal regulation zone clearance for the project in October 2019, while reclamation activities began on April 17 this year.
“The port has since dumped thousands of tonnes of mud and gravel into the intertidal area where we would earlier find crabs, tiger prawns and lobsters in good quantity. It is a shallow place, where the sunlight reaches the ocean bed and promotes growth of vegetation, attracting fish to breed there. Now because of sedimentation from the reclaimed area, even the surrounding mudflats are seeing a decline in catch,” said Koli, who challenged the October 2019 EC in the NGT, leading to a June 2021 order constituting the expert committee to look into their grievances.
However, JNPA officials refuted the claim that no safeguards have been taken pursuant to the NGT-appointed committee’s report. A senior official, who did not wish to be identified, confirmed that JNPA held a meeting with Atul Patne, fisheries commissioner, Maharashtra, after the expert committee’s report came out on September 9, in which the latter found JNPA’s compliance with directions to be sufficient. The minutes of the meeting (dated September 16) have been obtained by Hindustan Times, in addition to an internal JNPA document detailing the status of litigation regarding the fourth container terminal.
The latter, undated document notes that JNPT has decided to withdraw an appeal filed in the Supreme Court regarding an amount of ₹66 crore, which it deposited as compensation for 1,630 families in Uran who were displaced by the fourth container terminal’s Phase-1 expansion of 90 hectares, which was completed in December 2017, and commissioned in February 2018. The balance work to reclaim another 110 hectares commenced on April 17 this year, and has been challenged in a separate petition by local fishers.
“Despite our initial objection, we have agreed to the compensation amount due to the project’s impact on fishers. We have also deposited ₹35 lakhs with the Mangrove Foundation so that the area can be restored. In view of this, the fisheries commissioner agreed that we do not require any NOC or further compliance to proceed with the balance 110 hectares reclamation for container terminal number four. It is incorrect to say that we have not done our bit,” the official said.
Unmesh Wagh, deputy chairman, JNPA, confirmed these developments when contacted for a comment on Tuesday. “We have met with the fisheries department and they suggested that our appeal against the ₹66 crore compensation in the Supreme Court be withdrawn as a way forward. We have done what we can for the fisherfolk. After they have received the compensation amount, any other grievances can be examined by the expert committee.”
Fishers and environmentalists, however, maintained that this response is misplaced. Nandakumar Pawar, who runs the environment NGO Shri Ekvira Aai Pratishthan, said, “The compensation has been deposited in the Supreme Court since 2015, but not a single family has actually received any money yet. Besides, that is a separate petition relating to the initial work which displaced families. By agreeing to withdraw their objections in that matter, JNPA cannot now say that they have done enough to comply with the NGT committee’s directions in response to balance reclamation work of 110 hectares. That is another legal matter altogether.”
Moreover, local fishers added that a one-time compensation is not enough to ensure their security in perpetuity. “Having enough money for one lifetime is not our goal. We want to ensure that future generations can also carry out this trade. Even the NGT-appointed committee has asked JNPT to ensure that our livelihoods are not impacted. This crucial aspect has been completely ignored by both JNPA and the fisheries department,” said Koli.