The Hindu Business Line : Greenpeace to oppose plan for ship-breaking yard at Kakinada

Greenpeace activists holding posters in front of the State Secretariat in Hyderabad on Thursday in protest against the proposed ship-breaking yard in Kakinada. - A. Roy Chowdhury

Hyderabad , April 7

THE Government proposal to allow a ship-breaking yard at Kakinada has come in for sharp criticism from environmentalist groups led by Greenpeace.

While moving the High Court is an option for them, the activists are wondering why the Government should allow another `Patancheru-type' chemical crisis to happen on the pristine beaches of east coast.

Besides threatening to impact the livelihoods of about two lakh fishermen, the junkyards would prove fatal to the rich biodiversity. People too got affected as they consume polluted fish. "Enough is enough. We will not allow it to happen," the activists said.

Addressing a press conference here on Friday, Mr Ramapathi Kumar, a Greenpeace campaigner, said the non-governmental organisation had been fighting against ship-breaking units for the last seven years.

"Our fellow activists in Europe have started toxic patrols to prevent export of single hull tankers to Asian beaches for breaking," he said.

The activists alleged that the decision to set up a ship-breaking unit came in the wake of International Maritime Organisation's move to phase out all single-hulled oil tankers last week. "This means that a large number of tankers heading for Asian beaches for breaking," he said.

Throwing light on the widespread "destruction" caused by the existing ship-breaking yards in Alang (Gujarat), Mr Ramapathi said the Supreme Court had clearly put the onus of decontamination of tankers on the fleet owners. "But they (the tanker owners) usually pass the buck on to the breaking units. This results in releasing of pollutants into the sea," he said and added, "Industry can invest to decontaminate."

Dr T. Rajyalakshmi, President of the Society of Promotion of Integrated Coastal Area Management, said ship-breaking activities at Kakinada would be detrimental to the interests of the people.

"It could even change the topography of Hope Island and irreversibly contaminate the mangrove forest that provides natural protection to Kakinada," Dr Rajyalakshmi said.

Referring to the peculiarity of Kakinada beach, she said specific tide conditions would lead to toxic accumulation along the coast.

Mr T.S.L. Nayakar, a former legislator from the area, said the High Court had earlier directed the Government not to go ahead with breaking activities near Uppada.

Joining the local protests, Greenpeace had launched a global cyber initiative where thousands of its fellow activists world over were writing to the Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister, Dr Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy.

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