Kolkata, April 29, 2010: The controversial Greenpeace hoardings across Kolkata city which attracted the wrath of local Congress workers are now back up – with a twist. The original hoardings portrayed an apologetic Manmohan Singh in the year 2020, expressing his regret for not acting to save India’s coast. Congress workers had ‘instructed’ the hoarding owner to take them down. Today, fresh hoardings went up, with blank faces and a ‘Censored’ stamp across them, and a URL location for the original artworks.
On Earth Day, April 22, Greenpeace installed 12 billboards in Kolkata, with the underlying message that if our leaders do not act now to protect India’s marine and coastal environment, they will regret their indecision in the future. The hoardings featured digitally altered photographs of Dr. Manmohan Singh in the year 2020 with the message “I’m sorry, I could have saved India’s coast. I didn’t.” Chief Minister of Orissa Naveen Patnaik and Minister of Environment and Forest Jairam Ramesh were also pictured in a similar fashion, with Ramesh’s message saying that he was not allowed to save India’s coast – a reference to the pressure he is under from industry and members of his own party to go slow on green protection measures.
“These billboards are reminders to our political leaders that they need to act now to protect our coastal and marine ecosystems. Whether its state governments or the leadership at the Centre, the people of India are asking for action to protect our coastal environment, and to ensure that mistakes such as the Dhamra port project in Orissa are never repeated”, said Ashish Fernandes, Oceans Campaigner for Greenpeace India.
The TATA-L&T owned Dhamra port in Orissa is now nearing completion despite evidence of a violation (1) of the Forest Conservation Act, 1980 and other irregularities. The port, which will be one of India’s largest, is located just a few kilometres from the Bhitarkanika and Gahirmatha Protected Areas and has been a source of controversy ever since it was first proposed in the 1990s. Dhamra is going to cater large Capesize vessels – and environmentalists fear that an oil or chemical spill here could have devastating long-term consequences on both Bhitarkanika and Gahirmatha.
“The experience of recent oil spills in Orissa – the MV Malavika at Gopalpur and the Black Rose at Paradip are warning signs that having ports so close to ecologically critical areas is like sprinkling land mines around a playground,” said Fernandes. “That’s why a broad coalition of groups are now calling for a moratorium on ports within 25 km. of any turtle mass nesting beach.”
According to Planning Commission documents, over 300 new ports are planned along the Indian coast, many in ecologically critical areas. Orissa itself plans to build over 10 new ports, many of which will be adjacent to turtle mass nesting areas.
Notes to Editor:
1. Documents obtained under the Right to Information Act show that the entire Dhamra port is being built on Protected Forest land, without permission from the Centre under the Forest Conservation Act, 1980. The Ministry of Environment and Forests and the Orissa state government have known about this violation for several years now, but have not taken any action. An application has been filed by Bittu Sahgal and others in the Supreme Court of India asking that the project be halted on these grounds. The matter is currently being heard by the Central Empowered Committee of the Supreme Court and a decision is awaited.
Hoardings have been installed at these areas in Kolkata
1) Alipore, Opp National library facing Jindal House
2) Dhakuria Bridge, facing Jadavpur
3) Sai Complex FTF City to Airport
4) Salt Lake, at City Center opposite Apollo Clinic
5) Santoshpur Flyover, facing Jadavpur
6) Howrah Station (Double sided)
7) Salt Lake at Karunamoyee Jn
On VIP Road at Lake Town Jn. Facing Ultadanga – 2nd Shelter
9) Ganguly Bagan
10) Salt Lake Tank no. 4
