Villagers have blamed the project for eroding shorelines
More than 80 people were wounded in India as villagers protesting against the construction of Adani Group’s US$900m Vizhinjam Port project clashed with police in Kerala state, according to Reuters.
The protests are the latest escalation in a months-long strike led by a mostly Christian fishing community, causing work on the port to cease.
While Adani has hoped to develop Vizhinjam as a transhipment hub, construction has been halted for more than three months, with the locals having blocked the entrance to the site by erecting a 1,200 sq ft shelter.
The villagers have blamed the port’s development for coastal erosion and for depriving them of their livelihoods.
Police arrested some protesters who blocked Adani’s construction vehicles from entering the port over the weekend, despite a court order for work to resume.
In response to this, in the late evening on November 27, protesters led by Catholic priests marched on the police station and clashed with personnel, leaving police vehicles damaged, according to police documents acquired by Reuters and local television footage.
Sources told Reuters that at least 46 protesters were hurt while 36 officers were wounded in the clashes.
Although the protests have been going on for more than 100 days, they have been largely peaceful until now.
The police case documents said the protestors “came with lethal weapons and barged into the station and held the police hostage, threatening that if people in custody were not released they would set the station on fire”.
A police official told the news agency that security was being “beefed up” after the incident, with more than 600 officers deployed across Vizhinjam.
Located on the southern tip of India, the multi-purpose Vizhinjam Port will cater for passenger, container, and other cargo shipping.
The port seeks to plug into lucrative East-West trade routes which would add to the global reach of Adani’s businesses.
The port operator has previously said that the port complies with all laws and cited studies that show it is not linked to shoreline erosion.
The state government has also said that any erosion was due to natural causes.
