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The state govt constituted the expert committee in Oct 2022, with M D Kudale, former additional director of the Central Water and Power Research Station, as its chairman and Riji John, Tejal Kanitkar and P K Chandramohan as members, to study the issue.
It said the new panel should have no members with any conflict of interest and should consider the views of all stakeholders, including local fishing communities affected by coastal erosion. Kochi: The Kerala high court has held that the report of an expert committee constituted by the state govt to study coastal erosion allegedly caused by the Vizhinjam International Seaport is not to be acted upon, citing conflicts of interest involving some of its members. HC also directed the state govt to constitute a fresh, independent committee to study the issue. A bench of Justice Harisankar V Menon issued the order on a petition filed by residents of fishing villages located within 20km north of Vizhinjam, challenging the expert committee’s findings that attributed coastal erosion to natural causes, including cyclones. The petitioners contended that construction of the seaport had caused substantial coastal erosion to its north, particularly around the breakwater, while leading to accretion on the southern side.