India News | Unable to Remove Agitators' Tents in Port, HC Told
Get latest articles and stories on India at LatestLY. The Kerala High Court was on Monday informed by the State government that it was unable to demolish the tents at the Vizhinjam sea port in Thiruvananthapuram due to the presence of children, pregnant women and aged persons among the agitators.
Kochi (Kerala), Nov 7 (PTI) The Kerala High Court was on Monday informed by the State government that it was unable to demolish the tents at the Vizhinjam sea port in Thiruvananthapuram due to the presence of children, pregnant women and aged persons among the agitators.
During the hearing of the contempt petitions from the Adani Group, Justice Anu Sivaraman asked the government to remove any obstruction on the road to the under-construction port.
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The group submitted that the court order asking to remove the obstruction was not implemented.
While the government told the court that no construction vehicles came to the site, protestors submitted that they would not block the vehicles.
Meanwhile, the Central government counsel told the court that if any assistance of Central forces was required, then the State government could ask for it.
The construction of the port is being opposed by fisherfolk of the adjoining and far-off areas.
Adani group had earlier claimed that the court's order to provide police protection for the construction work was not implemented.
It has sought also demolition of the tents.
The court now listed the matter for further hearing on Thursday.
The court had said that it cannot prohibit protests, but at the same time no one should take law into their hands or be a threat to law and order while staging agitations like the one against Vizhinjam Port.
A large number of people have been staging protests outside the main entrance of the multi-purpose sea port at nearby Mulloor for months.
They have been pressing for their seven-point charter of demands that include stopping the construction work and to conduct a coastal impact study in connection with the multi-crore project.
The protesters have been alleging that the unscientific construction of groynes, the artificial sea walls as part of the upcoming Vizhinjam port, was one of the reasons for the increasing coastal erosion.
The High Court, on October 19, made it clear that its interim orders to remove obstructions created by protesters at the entrance of the port must be implemented.
(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)