The Hindu Business Line : Gangavaram port project to hit fisherfolk in 2 villages

THE Gangavaram port is an ambitious project awarded to a private consortium by the Andhra Pradesh Government and it is likely to trigger industrial growth in the Visakhapatnam region. But for the fisherfolk in two villages in the vicinity — Gangavaram and Dibbapalem — it is not a matter of joy but a threat to their livelihood.

More than 3,000 fishing families will be affected once the Gangavaram port comes to existence. The private port has been awarded to the D.V.S. Raju-led consortium with Dubai Ports International as a partner. The required land has been acquired, but nothing has been finalised for the rehabilitation of the displaced families.

While Dibbapalem, the main village on the beachfront, has been acquired and notices have been issued, Gangavaram, the immediate neighbour, is going to bear the brunt of the mega-project, though it is yet to be officially acquired.

Dibbapalem: The village comprises over 1,600 families, of which 800 directly depend on the sea for their livelihood. According to the fisherfolk, the Government officials have driven a wedge between the villagers. They have been offered jobs in the upcoming Gangavaram Port or another settlement by the sea, but the officials have not confirmed where.

"There is a proposal to settle us at Appikonda, 30 km from the present location. That place is not suitable for fishing. Firstly, that region is full of reefs and secondly, all the effluents from the National Thermal Power Corporation's Simhadri Project flow into the sea at that spot. The catch is minimal in that region.

Moreover, the Government pays compensation only to those people whose land has been acquired. What is the future of landless people like us who have been dependent on the sea for ages? We treat it as our agricultural land. To reap it, each one of us has invested in a boat and a few nets that cost over Rs 1 lakh. If we are robbed of our livelihood, there is no compensation for it," lamented Raju, a fisherman.

On the promised jobs in the port, the human rights activist, Mr K. Balagopal, wonders how the Government can keep such a promise. "The project is in the hands of a private consortium and it is clearly stated in the contract that all recruitment is solely the prerogative of the consortium.

``More than 3,000 persons are aspiring to get jobs in the port. It is difficult to comprehend how a hi-tech and fully mechanised private port can employ so many workers, when the total strength even in a major port like Visakhapatnam is only around 5,000,'' he asked?

Gangavaram: This village was relocated to its present position three decades ago, thanks to another major project — Visakhapatnam Steel Plant. With its three hamlets , Gangavaram has a population of over 20,000, with 1,000 families directly eking out a living from fishing. Currently, the village is not officially acquired but it is going to be affected.

Mr Balagopal opines that the fisherfolk will have to be trained for the jobs in the proposed port and absorbed.

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