Fishermen, locals worried over Enayam port project impact.

Where will we go? We will die here rather than move out,” said S Lanemmal, 63, as she sat chewing tobacco inside her hut on the beachside at Enayam village in Kanyakumari district, Tamil Nadu.

She is worried that a mega port project planned here could displace her along with 20,000 others.

There are mixed reactions to the ₹27,000-crore container transhipment project to come up in the vicinity of the hamlet on the west coast. Fishermen are worried that it will affect their livelihood while many others expect the port to be a catalyst for economic development.

The Centre recently approved a plan to establish the Enayum port project, to be set up through an SPV to be promoted by VO Chidambaranar Port Trust, Chennai Port Trust and Kamarajar Port Ltd.

“Who wants jobs in the port? We are fishermen and want to die as fishermen,” said Anthony Pillai, 32.Over a dozen of Pillai’s friends playing cards inside a hut joined him in saying they are currently leading a peaceful life, and would like to continue to do so.

“The project will be a great disaster for the people of this region and will wipe out coastal villages,” said George Robinson, a fishermen and spokesperson for the Movement Against Enayam International Container Transhipment project.

A 6 km breakwater to be constructed as part of the project will cause sea erosion damaging 50 villages spread over 68 km from Nerody to Kanyakumari, he said.

The plan is to reclaim land from the sea to develop port infrastructure. However, a vast area of land will be required in future for other operations.

Rs. Lal Mohan, Chairman, Conservation of Nature Trust and former Principal Scientist, ICAR, is worried the breakwater will affect sea current, which is critical for fishing. Nearly 20 per cent of Tamil Nadu’s fishermen live in this district. Over 2 lakh people associated with fishing — traders to transporters — will lose their jobs, it is feared.

Rajesh Kumar, a DMK MLA representing Killiyur Assembly constituency in which Enayam village is located, said: “We have been fighting only for a small fishing harbour in Colachel, not a mega project in this region.”

HBL