Several organisations to lead protest against commercial ports in Uttara Kannada district of Karnataka

Advocate Umesh Nayak promised to help the affected families take up a legal battle. He said that land acquisition proceedings started in the district 40 years ago, but are incomplete.

Members of several organisations participated in a meeting in Ankola of Uttara Kannada district of Karnataka on March 2 to oppose proposals to set up commercial ports in Keni and other places in the district. They met in the Komarapantha Community Hall in Ankola.

Leaders of various community organisations, like Halakki Vokkaligara Sangha, Bunt Sangha and Kharvi Sangha, participated. Leaders of various parties, who joined the meeting, said that the agitation will not be on party lines.

MLA Satish Sail and MLC Ganapathi Ulvekar spoke against the project. Mr Sail said he would join the agitation whenever called. Mr Ulvekar said that commercial ports would not only damage the environment, but also affect the livelihood of thousands of families engaged in fishing and allied activities. He criticised minister Mankal Vaidya, who belongs to the fishermen community, for failing to support his community.

“The commercial ports will not only affect particular villages, but will also harm the entire taluk,” said scientist V. N. Nayak. “Commercial ports could cause extensive damage to the environment. Roads will be blocked and the surrounding villages will be submerged. It could affect the fragile mountain regions near the valleys. Hundreds of hectares of fishing areas in the sea will be affected. There will be sea erosion in the surrounding area,” he said.

Advocate Umesh Nayak promised to help the affected families take up a legal battle. He said that land acquisition proceedings started in the district 40 years ago, but are incomplete. “A lot of land has already been lost in the district. Farmers and fishermen have suffered greatly and will continue to suffer. Several projects have been initiated over the years. But no project has provided justice to the locals,” he said.

Activist Arun Nadkarni asked the people to wake up and create awareness in their communities against the projects.

Former Zilla Panchayat president Ramanand Nayak, Halakki Okkal Samaj President Hanumantha Gowda, Bunt Samaj leader Sandeep Bunt, BJP leaders Bhaskar Narvekar, Huva Khandekar, Congress leaders Sujatha Gaonkar, Gopalakrishna Nayak, Sanjeeva Balegara, Srikanth Durgekar, Raju Harikanthar and others were present.