Impacts of Ports & Harbours
on Coastlines and Beaches
- The Pondicherry Case Study -
Till date 199 notified ports:
- 12 Major-187 Minor Intermediate (currently around 70 are operational).
Port Development - 11th five year plan of Govt. of India:
Has identified 331 ports for development on the mainland (roughly one port every 20kms).
NATIONAL OVERVIEW
Pondy Citizens’ Action Network – July 2009
• Minor Ports were exempted under the Environment Impact Assessment Notification (EIA notification of 1994-Aug 2006), but require environment clearance under the Coastal Regulation Zone (CRZ) Notification (1991)
• No public hearing was needed
• 1997 Amendment in CRZ - Ministry of Environment & Forest transferred clearances for expansion and modernisation of ports to Ministry of Surface Transport and Shipping.
• The Wildlife Protection Society of India, challenged this 1997 amendment in the Delhi High Court vide petition CWP 4198/97. (Status pending)
• 2000 Amendment in CRZ - transferred back to Ministry of Environment Forest. Dhamra Port was cleared during this time (1998). Many other ports were cleared during this time.
ENVIRONMENTAL FRAMEWORKS FOR PORTS
Pondy Citizens’ Action Network – July 2009
MORE A CLEARANCE REQUIREMENT THAN A REAL APPRAISAL
Category ACentral Clearance
Category BState Clearance
(B1 , B2)
Ports, Harbours 5 million TPA of cargo handling capacity (excluding fishing harbours)
< 5 million TPA of cargo handling capacity and/or
ports/ harbours 10,000 TPA of fish handling capacity
Ports/ harbours <10,000 TPA of fish handling capacity - NO EIA!??
ENVIRONMENTAL FRAMEWORKS FOR PORTS
Pondy Citizens’ Action Network – July 2009
WEAK SCIENCE AND POLICY
• Poor science & Planning in EIAs, Coastal Management, Development and Environmental Planning
• Its not about a single project and its impact, but cumulative impacts of ancillary development as well as impacts of other projects and coastal development.
• Environmental deregulation of coastal management and EIA laws- e.g. CMZ , EIA , CRZ
• Judicial remedies are difficult and problematic to pursue due to delays and backlog.
• Most often strong environmental and legal grounds against projects are ignored as the case becomes fait accompli.
• Poor planning and implementation of mitigating measures for environmental impacts.
ENVIRONMENTAL PLANNING CONCERNS
Pondy Citizens’ Action Network – July 2009
• Majority of Ports and harbours are causing large scale Coastal Erosion.
• Loss of coastal habitats.
• Loss of freshwater and food resources.
• Increased Vulnerability.
• Coastal communities affected.
• Socio-economic loss.
• Unsustainable development.
CONSEQUENCES OF POOR PLANNING OF PORTS
Erosion Hot Spots
NIO Study: 25% Of India’s Coastline is eroding!
Pondy Citizens’ Action Network – July 2009
- The Pondicherry Case Study -
Pondy Citizens’ Action Network – July 2009
MEMORIES OF THE PONDICHERRY-TAMIL NADU BEACHES
1950’s 1980’sPondy Citizens’ Action Network – July 2009
Salt water intrusion has turned the ground water saline
Agricultural land turned to wasteland
The coast prone to cyclones and tsunamis
Loss of homes and livelihoods
Loss of space for recreation, tourism
& coastal processes
Since the construction of the harbour in1989: - 8 kms of coastline got destroyed. - 30 km of beaches affected.
PRESENT SITUATION
Pondy Citizens’ Action Network – July 2009
SAND MOVEMENT ALONG COASTLINE
Image: source Google EarthPondy Citizens’ Action Network – August 2009
During NE monsoon
=Direction of sand
movement
During SW monsoon
Swell orientation
Net Littoral Drift
500,000 Cu.m per
year!
Beaches are like rivers of sand. This natural sand movement is a significant natural process
and a factor which plays a major role along our coast..
During SW Monsoon: 600,000 Cum.(9 months)
Minus:
During NE Monsoon : 100,000 Cum.(9 months)
= Net displacement : 500,000 Cum.
Net Littoral Drift Equation :
Beach erosion
Sand accumulation
Original shoreline
BreakwatersLittoral drift
This triggers accretion of sand in the south of the harbor and erosion in the north.
LIKE A DAM THE HARBOUR BLOCKS THE SAND MOVEMENT
Pondy Citizens’ Action Network – July 2009
A SAND BY-PASS SYSTEM WAS PART OF THE HARBOUR DESIGN
Original
shoreline
Submarine tunnel
Sand nourishment
Proposed by: Central Water & Power Reasearch Station (CWPRS), Pune, 1978.
Designed by: Consulting Engineering Services (CES), New Delhi, 1981.
Dredger
UNFORTUNATELY IT WAS RARELY USED!
Pondy Citizens’ Action Network – July 2009
BEFORE (1980s) AFTER (2000+)
150 m wide Beach Beach fully Eroded
IMPACTS OF EROSION
Pondy Citizens’ Action Network – July 2009
WIDESPREAD DESTRUCTION IN PONDICHERRY AND TAMIL NADU
Pondy Citizens’ Action Network – July 2009
INSTEAD OF SAND BY-PASSING THE GOVT DUMPED ROCKS
100 m
Pondy Citizens’ Action Network – July 2009
DUMPING ROCKS IS NOT A SOLUTION
• Increases erosion
• Transfers problem down the coast
• Has to continue forever as rocks keep sinking
• Requires huge sums of public money
• Does not protect us from big waves
• Mountains have to be destroyed
This is NOT sustainable!
Pondy Citizens’ Action Network – July 2009
LOSS OF LIVELIHOOD OF TRADITIONAL FISHING COMMUNITIES
PondicherryTamil Nadu
PondyHarbour
Blocked sand
SeawallAffected Fishing Villages
Kuruchi KuppamVaithi
Kuppam
Solai Nagar
Soudani Kuppam
NaduKuppam
ThandirayanKuppam Vembakira
palayam
Coastal erosion is advancing @ 350 m / year (1m per day)
Space for parking boats No access to sea
Pondy Citizens’ Action Network – July 2009
EROSION CAUSED BY GROYNES BUILT IN T.N.
120 m
April ’07
9th May ’07
6th June ‘0728th June ‘0718th July ‘07 Erosion in 12 weeks
Erosion
Pondy Citizens’ Action Network – July 2009
natural space for recreation, tourism festivals …
THE BEACH IS A PART OF OUR NATURAL AND CULTURAL HERITAGE
Sustains homes and livelihood of fishermen Prevents ground water from becoming saline
It protects us from cyclones and tsunamis
Pondy Citizens’ Action Network – July 2009
“Protection and Restoration of Pondicherry-TN coastline”
It was unanimously agreed that the harbour was the cause of erosion and soft options should be adopted:
- Activate the sand by-pass system. - Capital dredging to make up for the backlog of 20 years - The harbor to be redesigned to minimize dredging costs - The Governments of Pondicherry and TN will jointly work for a solution.
Experts on Coastal Management Govt officials from Pondichery and TN
Pondy Citizens’ Action Network – July 2009
CONSULTATION MEET – AUROVILLE, 3rd Nov’07
“Government Policies on Ports & Harbours and its Impacts on Coastal Ecology, Livelihood Resources and Fishing Coomunities”
Resolution: Not to allow the proposed unplanned, indiscriminate and unjustified construction of coastal structures along our coastline until and unless: :
- Damaged coastal areas are studied, restored and monitored. - Affected coastal communities are consulted and rehabilitated. - Fishing and coastal community land rights must be recognized
Experts on Coastal Management Fishing Community Representatives, NGOs
Pondy Citizens’ Action Network – July 2009
CONSULTATION MEET – PONDICHERRY, 4th May ’09
IN 2003 SAND NOURISHMENT HAD SHOWN POSITIVE RESULTS
Unfortunately it was abandoned soon after.
Before Nourishment After Nourishment
Pondy Citizens’ Action Network – July 2009
Existing harbour Proposed Deep Water Port.
Existing Harbour Proposed Port
• Land area: 150 acres.• Cargo handling: 0.05 MTA. (average)• Breakwaters: 250 m long.• Depth: Max. 4 m.
• Land area: 400 acres (min.)• Cargo handling capacity: 20 MTA.• Breakwaters: 750 m long.• Depth: Max. 14 m.
AN IMPENDING DANGER -THE PROPOSED DEEP WATER PORT
A small harbor caused such massive destruction, imagine the impact of a major port.
Pondy Citizens’ Action Network – July 2009
Chennai Port is in the north of the city. Marina beach formed in the south
but the north side got severely eroded.
LEARNING FROM PAST EXPERIENCE Port Proposed in Pondy is in the south. The town is potentially under the risk
of getting inundated
Potential situation in Pondy:
Potential erosion
Original shoreline
Proposed Pondy
Harbour
Situation in Chennai:
Original shoreline
Existing erosion
Chennai Harbour
Pondy Citizens’ Action Network – July 2009
DOES PONDICHERRY NEED A PORT?
This project will be an environmental, social and economic disaster.The port area could become a Marina cum Park for Pondicherry’s citizens and visitors.
Cheyur Port
Cuddalore Port
Karaikal Port
Nagapattinam Port
Pondicherry ?
Chennai Port
Ennore Port
Erosion, Pollution and Congestion?
Or Beach, Fresh air and Peace?
Pondy Citizens’ Action Network – July 2009
THE LARGER QUESTIONS
- What is the Carrying Capacity of the coastal environment of India? How many ports, harbours, power plants? Industries can the coastal environment support?
- In the absence of scientific data, shouldn’t the Precautionary Principle be adopted?
- How do we go about restoring and ameliorating the coastal environment that has been damaged by human activities?
- How do we address Inter-State coastal environment issues?
- Social aspects and impacts of livelihoods of traditional fishing communities eg. Posco, Gangavaram, Mundra, Positra.
- What is the role and strategy of communities, scientists, NGOs and civil society in the backdrop and trend of this type development of ports?
- What are the solutions, alternatives or responses?
Pondy Citizens’ Action Network – July 2009
No 34, Rue Francois Martin, Pondicherry- 605001Ph: 91-413-4210032E-Mail: [email protected] Website : www.pondycan.org
Thank you