Discussion on Dhamra Port, Gahirmatha and Turtles

There is an interesting exchange going on the nathistory listserve on the Dhamara project of the TATAs and its impact on turtles and their nesting ground in Gahirmatha. Amlan Dutta, who was earlier with Wildlife Institute at Dehradun, is now working with Dhamra Port Company Ltd., and therefore questioning those who claim that the Dhamra Port will be harmful for the turtle rookery at Gahiramatha.

Arribada refers to the mass nesting of turtles

Please read on:

Amlan Dutta wrote:

Dear Members,

We just got the news that the first wave of arribada happened saturday night, and according to forest dept sources 75000 turtles have nested. The details are not very clear but initial reports suggest that nesting happened in Nasi I. 

Last year when arribada didn't happen many voices were raised on dredging of dhamra port having affected turtles, while the truth is average reproductive effort of a female olive ridley is 4 years, i.e. in other words a female turtle comes to nest once only in 4 years, it takes that much time for the egg folicles to develop and make the pan-oceanic trip worthwhile for the females,, while the males do come to mate every year, so if arribada has not happened doesnt mean that the dredging of last year and this year caused some disturbances,, it would have been something which took place 4 years ago, and the fact is arribada didnt take place in many instances since the discovery of arribada in the 1970s ( Bustard, 1976 : Worldâ™s largest sea turtle rookery? Tigerpaper 3: 25) and these years are 1982, 1988, 1997, 1998 and 2002. (Kartik Shanker et. al. Biological Conservation 115 (2003) 149“160) was the dhamra dredging happening then??

Amlan

The reponse from Sudarshan

Dear Amlan 

I am sorry , but dredging is just one of the things that can have a impact on turtles . They are quite a few others  issues -lighting , oil and cargo spills etc etc. However, more specifically  and importantly - what about the more long term and perhaps permanent impacts such as  erosion/shoreline changes  on the turtles nesting habitat ( or the coastline in general for that matter)  that the port can cause?. This is inevitable in any port -whatever be its design. Both the north and south of the port are sensitive habitat.  Zero impact is a thermodynamic impossibility.

These issues ought to have been studied  in the EIA and a Environment Management plan (EMP) and mitigation options explored within  that.  Please do not tell me the environment management plan is perfect and mitigation is being done! On what basis? An invalid EIA and environmental clearance. The  legal validity of the   EIA/  Environment clearance for Dhamra port  is questionable, and  the clearance in my opinion is  NULL and VOID.

The  clearance / EIA is for the location on kanika sand banks ( an island ) but the Dhamra port is on mainland and is moreover FOUR times the size now ! The table below illustrates it better – its clearly a case of apples and oranges

ISP Ltd( 1997)	Dhamra Port Company Limited No Fresh EIA or Environment Clearance
On Kanika Sand Banks (9000 acres) Island 1200 acres on main land for port area 5000 acres for industrial park 3000 acres for Rail Road Alignment   EIA discarded mainland option	On Main Land (4013 acres for port 3000 acres for Rail Road)
14 M depth  7 km long channel 120,000 DWT ships	18 M depth, 18 km channel 180,000 DWT ships
Capacity -25 Million tons per annum	Capacity -83 Million tons per annum
50 million tones of dredging	60 million tonnes of dredging  for phase I alone
2 berths	Phase I- 2 berths Total 13 berths

 There is a larger issue here as well - there are a total of 14 ports being developed/proposed along the Orrisa coastline of 480 km. That's one every 35 km.!!!1 including the ones at the other two  important nesting sites near Devi and Rushikulya river mouth.

If the "environment due diligence"  track record of the Dhamra Port Company Ltd. (DPCL)   is anything to go by -i.e  one that illustrates an example of how the govt. and a corporate makes a mockery  and of  environment laws and  regulations, one can  only wonder about  the consequences and impacts of the other proposed port projects  following similar footsteps!

One can rest be assured that the individual and cumulative impact of these ports on not just turtles but all coastal and shoreline biodiversity is likely to be devastating.  This will also be the death knell for the livelihoods and settlements of millions of  fisher folk  who habitations and livelihoods are derived from the health of this coastal and marine biodiversity.

For readers who might be interested in the Dhamra port issue please read a the special issue on the Dhamra port at

http://www.seaturtle.org/mtn/archives/mtn121/

http://www.seaturtle.org/mtn/archives/mtn121/mtn121p21.shtml

regards

Sudarshan 

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I am sure that this is going to get a strong reponse from the DPCL spokesman i.e. Amlan Dutta. I have had my own brush with him- I suppose his job with DPCL rests on ensuring effective greenwash.

It is also important to note that not only Amlan, but even IUCN is collaborating with the TATAs in greenwashing the Dhamra Port, which possibly is situated in the most incredibly sensitive location, close to Gahirmatha and next to the Bhittarkanika. I would like to thank Sudarshan for refuting the greenwash effort by Amlan Dutta.