Dhamra port controversy: dialogue fails, TATAs refuse to suspend dredging

Dredging continues posing irreversible impact on the area.

Bangalore, February 26th, 2009: The dialogue between an alliance of environmental organisations with TATA Steel and other promoters of the Dhamra Port hit a dead end on February 20, 2009, after TATA refused to consider any suspension of dredging work at the port. TATA had earlier committed ‘in principle’ to an independent and comprehensive threat assessment. However, the promoters were unwilling to suspend critical elements of the construction, particularly dredging, which conservationists fear could be causing irreversible harm to the ecology. Suspension of dredging would be fundamental for any scientifically credible and meaningful study to be conducted.

“We find this reluctance to suspend dredging inconsistent with TATA Steel’s commitments to reconsider the project if an independent study were to indicate any environmental threat from the port” said Ashish Fernandes, Oceans Campaigner, Greenpeace. “It is illogical and dubious science to expect a biological assessment of the area to go on even as large scale habitat alteration from dredging and land filling continues” he added.

Last year there were heightened protests and over 100,000 Greenpeace cyber activists called on TATA to relocate the port. In response, at the Tata Steel AGM in August 2008, Mr. Ratan Tata committed to a dialogue process with Greenpeace and other organisations (1). The negotiations involved the need to suspend construction pending an independent and comprehensive biological threat assessment of the Dhamra Port on adjoining areas, including Gahirmatha and Bitharkanika. These protected areas harbour rare species such as the olive ridley turtle and the saltwater crocodile.

Commenting on the impasse, Belinda Wright, Executive Director, Wildlife Protection Society of India said, “The TATAs’ reluctance to suspend dredging does not make sense as this would create a fait accompli situation and prejudice the results of any assessment. Stopping the dredging is essential for any study to be meaningful, as this may be causing irreversible impacts on the area and could even be preventing the turtles from nesting.”

Recently, a Greenpeace snap-poll of nearly 5000 TATA customers, conducted between February 16th and February 24th revealed that 98% believed that port construction should be stopped immediately. MPs and politicians across party lines have also written to the Ministry of Environment at the Centre, raising concerns over the port’s impacts and seeking its intervention.(2)

“It seems that while TATAs are making positive statements, they are unwilling to back these up on the ground. We are still hopeful that the TATAs will demonstrate as much concern for the health of the environment as they do for their balance sheets. The best way to do this is by suspending construction, specifically dredging, pending the independent impact assessment that is needed”, Fernandes concluded.

Notes to the Editor
(1) The organisations interacting with TATA include the Wildlife Protection Society of India, Wildlife Society of Orissa, the National Fishworkers Forum and the Orissa Traditional Fishworkers Forum, Sanctuary Asia, Conservation Action Trust and Reefwatch Marine Conservation amongst others.

(2) For letters from MPs and other stakeholders to the Ministry of Environment and Forests, Government of India, expressing concern on the development of the Dhamra Port, please refer to http://greenpeace.in/turtle/docs

Ashish Fernandes, Oceans Campaigner, Greenpeace India
ashish.fernandes(at)greenpeace(dot)org, +91-99801 9930

Ankur Ganguly, Communications Manager, Greenpeace India
ankur.ganguly(at)greenpeace(dot)org, +91-98453 73818

Saumya Tripathi, Greenpeace Communications
saumya.tripathi(at)greenpeace(dot)org, +91-93438 62212

This post is tagged biological threat, Dhamra, olive ridley turtle, Ratan Tata, saltwater crocodile, Tata, Tata steel, tatas, turtles