Greenpeace dismisses allegations, renews call to stop work on Dhamra port
July 05, 2007
Greenpeace renewed its call to stop work on the Dhamra port in view of the clear evidence of rare species on the port site and turtle presence in the off-shore waters. It rubbished the allegations of 'report doctoring' leveled at it by the North Orissa University, by establishing that the report in its entirety including the foreword, summary and recommendations were published with the prior informed consent of the University's research team. In fact, Dr. S.K . Dutta jointly released the report with Greenpeace in Mumbai on June 8, 2007.
Greenpeace activists blockade TATA office, demand the Company keeps promise to save turtlesMRA Marg Police picked up 4 activists.
July 17, 2007
In the absence of evidence that the TATAs will honour their commitment towards protecting their habitat, the 'olive ridley sea turtles' intensified their protest today by directly taking the issue to Bombay House, the headquarters of the TATA group. Three 'turtles' carrying a huge metal sign that read 'TATA – Turtle Hazard' attached themselves to the entrance to Bombay House and vowed to stay there till the TATAs responded. MRA Marg police picked up three volunteers and Sanjiv Gopal, the oceans campaigner for Greenpeace from the spot.
My Opinion towards the entire issue is
the fact that TATA is planning to bluit a port at Dhamra in Orissa really pisses me off. Infact this is going to be one of the largest ports ever bluit in Asia. Dhamra at Orissa is India's largest nesting grounds for these Olive Ridley Turtles.
These turtles are a very endangered speices and are found only in three countries. Making an Iron port is gonna kill a lot of these turtles. Its a heritage for our country to have these turtles coming to our country and nesting here. Its our responsibility to save them.
This action against TATA was done at Bombay House - Mumbai.
Being a part of this action makes me proud. The gate that is set here saying "TATA TURTLE HAZARD ! - Greenpeace" was placed by four individuals (including me).
18 comments:
I can't change everybodies opinion as everyone has a head of their own but the scenario today is that turtles are nesting despite the port construction which is a great sign.
The way I see it mate!
If the port and the turtles can co-exist it would be the ideal scenario for our country.
What do ya say?
Well Lots of people and children in Orrisa die every year, If that port is gonna save them, then go ahead. Also the turtles have nested this year so they seem fine to me
In India the people have learnt to respect all. But that doesn’t mean that we need someone to tell us what our choice should be. We rather believe a company we have known for years rather than an organization who is trying to influence decisions of people by stories rather than facts.
well TATA being a very reputed corporation will take responsibility for the well being of the turtles and this port will bring much needed development to the backward state of Orissa
yes in spite of the construction 1.7 lakh turtles nested in march unlike the previous year.
Green peace has very little evidence to support their cause and are blowing the whole issue out of prapotion.
30kms from the Nesting Site!!!
Well this is ridiculous the actual port site is 30kms from the Olive Ridley Turtle nesting site. Yes there is a lot of information floating around regarding the port site and led me to do a bit of digging of my own and I found that the internet is full of reports that confirm the same. According to a quote from a report by the Chief Wildlife Warden, dated 30.12.1998, “The Olive Ridley turtles nest in the Gahirmatha beach, which is about 15 km from the port site, as the crow flies. But as there is dispersal of islands and sand bars, actual water route distance from the port site to the nesting beach is about 30 km. No other endangered marine life occurs or nest in close vicinity of the proposed port site. There is no likelihood of this project affecting the nesting of the sea turtles.”
I urge all you people to please look at the information carefully and check the fact about the Dhamra port as the actual site is far from the nesting grounds to pose as a threat.
HISTORY of the Dhamra Port
The State of Orissa has always had a rich maritime heritage of historic commercial trade links with the Mediterranean world on the West and Southeast Asian islands like Sri Lanka, Burma, and China in the east. The annual festival of Bali Yatra bears testimony to the maritime legacy of Orissa, when the mariners of Orissa the ‘sadhabas’ would set sail to their trade destinations. Dhamra port is nothing but a part of that legacy.
While many of the ancient ports were forgotten with the ravages of time, even during the British Raj, this port was vibrant and was an important link for trade and commerce between Bengal & Orissa and the first official notification defining the limits of the port dates back to 28.3.1881 published in the Calcutta Gazette. Ports are infrastructural assets catering to the need of a nation and in this case a need for a deep water port was felt to cater to the needs of North Orissa, Jharkhand and West Bengal. The Government of Orrisa decided to revive this heritage and build a new and state of the art port at river Dhamra
HISTORY of the Dhamra Port
The State of Orissa has always had a rich maritime heritage of historic commercial trade links with the Mediterranean world on the West and Southeast Asian islands like Sri Lanka, Burma, and China in the east. The annual festival of Bali Yatra bears testimony to the maritime legacy of Orissa, when the mariners of Orissa the ‘sadhabas’ would set sail to their trade destinations. Dhamra port is nothing but a part of that legacy.
While many of the ancient ports were forgotten with the ravages of time, even during the British Raj, this port was vibrant and was an important link for trade and commerce between Bengal & Orissa and the first official notification defining the limits of the port dates back to 28.3.1881 published in the Calcutta Gazette. Ports are infrastructural assets catering to the need of a nation and in this case a need for a deep water port was felt to cater to the needs of North Orissa, Jharkhand and West Bengal. The Government of Orrisa decided to revive this heritage and build a new and state of the art port at river Dhamra
"Would like to share news about mass turtles nesting in Gahirmatha Beach inspite of Dhamra Port construction…
http://www.orissatv.com/NewsDetail.asp?newsId=NS930
A funny video about turtles nesting in Gahirmatha Beach. ENJOY!
Turtles are Back
According to Greenpeace, Dhamra port project will directly affect the Olive Ridley turtles, their mating, nesting etc. however found this video worth sharing.
Greenpeace Lie - Olive Ridley Nesting Video at Gahirmatha Beach
Even after huge Greenpeace propaganda, turtles came back for nesting at Gahirmatha beach, which is located near Dhamra port project.
Like to share few more stories:
--> Olive Ridley Turtles Begin Early Nesting in Orissa--> Olive Ridley turtles hatchlings emerge from sandy pitsI think Greenpeace problem lies here: "After all, Tata has grown from a national giant into an international player"
Light and lighting are crucial for any industrial project, both during construction and the operational phase. IUCN lighting experts and DPCL are also taking care of implementing lighting safeguards, which would also be turtle safe lighting and would be low pressure sodium vapor lights which have been proven by research to be the least disorienting to turtle hatchlings.
Source: http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=296928&id=168851070709
"Expressing anguish over the Green Peace movement's single point agenda on stopping work on Dhamra Port project in Orissa, Tata Steel Chairman Ratan Tata reiterated that the company would in no way take up any project hazardous to Olive Ridley Turtles"
Mr Ratan Tata Chairman of TATA Steel to Greenpeace activists: "I invite you for a discussion and a visit to the port site in Dhamra."
Tata proved that Tata was always willing to have a best solution for country's industrial & economical development and they were always ready for solutions.
http://steelguru.com/news/index/2009/08/29/MTA5MDgw/TATA_Steel_invites_Greenpeace_activists_for_talks_on_Dhamra_Port.html
http://www.indopia.in/India-usa-uk-news/latest-news/661058/Business/4/20/4
http://www.newkerala.com/nkfullnews-1-100917.html
Greenpeace, the professed global environment campaign organization, in an instance of unmatched brazenness, falsified the report prepared by North Orissa University on Biodiversity Assessment of Dhamra Estuary. As a result, a group of forty MPs wrote to the Ministry Of Environment and Forests to call on the bluff of Greenpeace. The Orissa Govt. therefore initiated action against Greenpeace proposing a ban on all its activities in the state.
However, after the 102nd Annual General Meeting of Tata Steel in Mumbai, Greenpeace unabashedly has started their tricks once again. This time it has managed to rope in Retd Admiral Ramdas and his wife Mrs. Lalita Ramdas on the issue of Dhamra port but as far as scientific reasoning goes, the issues raised are totally unfounded. We can just hope that the visit of the Ramdas’ to the site will help to stop meaningless agitations and clear the situation once and for all.
Tata Steel has always maintained a strong focus on environment sustainability and environment management in all its operations. We have seen that in the issues regarding the construction of a deep-sea port at Dhamra in Orissa, the Company has been forthcoming in sharing the concerns of activists and ever willing to implement practical means of mitigating any adverse impact of port construction on the marine eco-system in that area. The Company has held at least eight to nine sessions of meetings with Greenpeace and other environmental organizations in the matter of Dhamra Port. Tata Steel has made it abundantly clear that it is willing to have further discussions in order to alleviate any unnecessary doubts that the dissenters may yet nurture against the project.
Here is an outline of events as they happened till date.
The JV agreement with L&T to build a port at Dhamra was signed by Tata Steel in 2004. At the very onset, discussions were initiated with WWF- India, BNHS, Mr Kartik Shankar, Mr Bittu Sehagal and others.
The company was duly concerned with the objections raised by different environmental organizations and agreed not to begin construction work till a detailed study was complete. Responding wholeheartedly to the demands of activists, Tata Steel agreed for a proposal for a further study of the impact of the port on turtles and on the marine and island eco-system.
In 2005, BNHS and WWF-India, with an unprecedented suddenness, reversed their stand and refused to conduct the assessment study as they had promised. However, the organisations did not provide any reasons for their turncoat attitude.
In March 06, in an address to ED, Greenpeace India, the Chairman of TATA Sons made it clear that commitments were meant to be honoured at both ends. The Company had fulfilled their promise by withholding construction work for the proposed study, which never actually took off. The MD of Tata Steel also met Greenpeace officials in their Bangalore office.
In January 2008 a meeting was subsequently conducted between Greenpeace and Tata Steel and a list of concerns was presented by Greenpeace with regard to Dhamra Port. DPCL on 8th March 2008, gave a detailed and comprehensive explanation to all the points raised by Greenpeace. Subsequent objections were allayed on 3rd May 2008.
Further on 23rd October 2008, MD, Tata Steel along with senior executives of Tata Steel, L&T and DPCL met Greenpeace, BNHS, WPSI, Wild Society of Orissa, Sanctuary Asia and other environmental organizations to discuss the concerns and the way forward on the subject with regard to Dhamra Port.
A team of Company Executives and environment experts visited Bhitarakanika National Park, Gahirmatha Marine Sanctuary and the Dhamra Port site on February 2009, supervising the ongoing dredging operations.
On fourth meeting on 20th Feb 2009 in Kolkata, Tata Steel, L&T and DPCL agreed to conduct the additional biological impact assessment in close collaboration with NGOs’ of environmental organizations team led by a mutually agreed upon Scientists team. However the NGOs’ in a further instance of unreasonableness, insisted upon complete cessation of on-going dredging operation of Dhamra Port even before the commencement of study. However DPCL, Tata Steel and L&T team showed it preparedness to adjust the schedule of works including dredging to facilitate the study after due recommendation by the Scientists team.
The 102nd AGM of Tata Steel had been attended by a number of Greenpeace activists who happen to be shareholders of the Company as well. The AGM highlighted Tata Steel’s interests in further conference with Greenpeace in the matter of the port in addition to an invitation to activists to visit the port site yet again.
From the sequence of events, it is absolutely clear that the only thing that Greenpeace wants is to prolong the situation of deadlock in the matter of Dhamra Port. Perhaps, due to a lack of other valid issues on their agenda, Greenpeace is carrying on with a stance of stiffness, lest they have to give in to valid scientific reasoning. The only deduction that may be drawn from Greenpeace’s lack of willingness in discussion is that they have lost their own conviction long before and fear that they will have to admit it as such in an open forum. It is indeed a very sorry state of affairs in which progress is kept at stake and the environment is being used as a pawn by people who profess themselves to be friends of the environment.
http://www.d-r-a-g.org/river-system-facts/greenpeace-failure-arribada-continues-at-gahirmatha-nesting-beach.
In the blog post it is clearly mentioned that -
In order to facilitate the movement of large size vessels, a deep-sea port was proposed on the north of the mouth of river
Dhamra, on the eastern coast of India….
Unfortunately, ever since its inception, certain groups and individuals, mostly campaigners like Greenpeace have expressed
unfounded and biased apprehensions to malign the project as an environmental threat….
This video clearly narrates the
misconceptions that have been spread, and the actual facts to counter them…..
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