Dissatisfied with the expert committee formed by the State government, the Church-led action council spearheading the protests against the Vizhinjam port is planning to conduct a parallel study on the links of of the multi-crore project to coastal erosion in the region.
Action council general convener Fr. Eugene Pereira accused the State government of ignoring its demands in constituting the four-member panel. No local experts have been included as members in the panel chaired by M. D. Kudale, former Additional Director, Central Water and Power Research Station (CWPRS), Pune, to study whether the port has caused coastal erosion, he said.
''We will carry out a parallel study with experts in ocean science and fisheries,'' Fr. Pereira said. He also expressed concern that the government panel would merely come out with a report favourable to the port project.
The October 6 government order on forming the panel only says that it should hear the views of the representatives of the local population before finalising its report.
‘Will not dismantle tents’
Fr. Pereira said the action council does not intend to dismantle the tents erected by the protesters at the port site. An appropriate decision will be taken on the matter after studying Friday's High Court order, he said. The court was misled on the issue, he alleged.
