Greenpeace activist Diya Banerjee sends her message to Jairam Ramesh
The port is being built 5 km from the Bhitarkanika Sanctuary (a Ramsar wetland of international importance) and less than 15 km from the mass turtle nesting beaches of the Gahirmatha Marine Sanctuary. The Bhitarkanika National Park (notified in 1998) is a hot-spot of biodiversity. Home to largest population of salt water crocodiles in India and more than 215 species of avifauna, it is also the second largest mangrove ecosystem in India and harbours more than 70 species of mangrove.
The worst impacted by this are the Olive Ridley Sea turtles who have been nesting here for 1000s of years.
The people responsible for this are a handful of politicians and industrialists who are not even bothered about the damage this port is causing. The officials in the Ministry of Environment and Forests have been aware of this violation for several years now, yet they have not taken any action.
Interestingly, there are alternatives to Dhamra. The existing and already under creation capacity is certainly able to handle traffic meant for Dhamra. However, Dhamra gives some financial advantages to the TATAs over other sites and it is therefore a question of being ready to accept a reduced profit margin in the interests of environmental protection.
I believe this is not acceptable because:
1. Irreversible damage could be inflicted on the ecology of the area with continued construction.
2. Ongoing construction of the port while the study is simultaneously conducted would prejudge the results of such an assessment.
3. Continuing these destructive activities would interfere with the scientific accuracy of the assessment.
4. Dhamra port is being built on protected forest land.
We are unable to protect what little we are left with and then cry about global warming and ecological imbalance which would ultimately sound our own death knell. Is it possible to exist as the worst predator on this planet with no other specie than the Homo sapiens?
If we don’t respect the ecological balance and regard our fellow planeteers as equal participants on this planet then we can’t claim ourselves to be superior.
Diya Bannerjee
IT Professional Hyderabad
