Deep sea pipeline: Massive protest in Porbandar against project, citing threat to livelihood from discharged effluents

Ahmedabad: The state government's deep sea pipeline project for discharging treated industrial effluents into the sea faced massive protest in Porbandar where a large number of people staged protest.

Alleging that the project will be an environmental disaster for the region, the protesters said that it also threatens the livelihood of farmers and fishermen.

Wearing black clothes, a large number of women and women took out a symbolic "shamshan yatra (cremation march)" to oppose the Jetpur-Porbandar pipeline.

The pipeline will collect effluent from industries in Jetpur, Rajkot district and will dump into the deep sea on Porbandar coast. Government sources said that the project worth Rs700 crore started in 2021 is likely to be completed by next year.

"This 130 km long underground pipeline will be a big environmental disaster for the whole region. It will be dumping hazardous chemicals into the sea which will affect the fishermen community a lot. The community is already facing scarcity of fish close to the shores and have to go deep into the ocean for good catch. Similarly, a minor leakage will prove disastrous for the farmers on whose lands the pipeline is being laid underground. Who is going to check such leakage," said Pavan Shiyal, president of Samast Kharva Samaj, Porbandar.

He said that over the past several years, different groups have made representation to state as well as central governments but to no avail. He added that the pipeline will impact fishermen and farmers in other parts of Saurashtra as well.

The Jetpur-Porbandar pipeline is one of the seven deep sea pipeline projects that the state government has planned at a cost of over Rs8,320 crore covering industrial clusters in Ahmedabad, Vadodara, Sarigam, Surat, Ankleshwar, Jhagadia and Vapi.

Responding to a question asked by then Congress MLA from Porbandar Arjun Modhwadia in the state assembly in September 2023, whether environment clearance was required as per impact assessment notification, 2006, the state government said it was not necessary.

The government said in a written submission in the assembly last year that the deep sea pipeline in Surat at a cost of Rs4,841. Under this project, Palsana, Kadodara, Sachin and Pandesara will be linked through the pipeline and effluent will be dumped into the sea.