Skip to main content

ADB floats $865,000 Action Plan to improve livelihood, environment for rural areas Mundra, new industrial hub in Gujarat

 
The Asian Development Bank (ADB) has come up with a $865,000 dollars "action plan" to improve livelihood and environment in the villages situated along Kutch coast especially in Mundra, which has turned into a major hot spot for industrial development in India. Mundra has one of the biggest private ports of India, owned by Adanis, a special economic zone, also developed by Adanis, and two power plants owned by Tata Group and Adani Group.
The ADB's three year action plan, to be implemented in phases till October 2018, includes:
  • $100,000 cost for carrying out required studies to identify affected foot fisherfolk and consult fisherfolk through NGOs to improve livelihood and environment of the region, 
  • $40,000 engagement by ADB for appointing specialist marine consultant and assess the results an earlier study undertaken by the National Institute of Oceanography on impact on the sea,
  • $300,000 required for livelihood improvement plan for foot fisherfolk,
  • $25,000 for engaging an independent expert to assess the implementation of the livelihood improvement plan,
  • $150,000 for design and implementation of sludge treatment and disposal measures; 
  • $200,000 as third party monitoring of ambient air quality; 
  • $300,000 for engaging technical support; and 
  • $50,000 as contingency funds. 
The ADB, which is one of important financiers of the Tatas' power plant in Mundra,  prepared the action plan after making a spot study of rural areas of Mundra following after learning concern expressed by local organizations that their traditional means of livelihood have been affected because of industrial activities in the region.
The action plan is in response to a report by its accountability mechanism, Compliance Review Panel (CRP), to find out changes in livelihood patters in the region and impact on environment. It will be implemented in coordination with the Tata Group's power plant at Mundra, say sources.
The ADB’s CRP had recommended that more livelihood options should be provided to the local people, even as suggesting some environment-improvement measures. It said this should be done on the basis of “adequate and comprehensive” consultations with fisherfolk and expert opinion.
Reacting to the action plan, a local organization, Macchimar Adhikar Sangharsh Samiti (MASS), which claims to represent local fishermen, has said it should not be “restricted only for people who had practiced foot fishing."  In a statement, it has added, there should be a proper assessment of the number of people affected because of the impact of industrialization livelihood before implementing it.
Circulating a statement by Gajendrasinh Bhimaji, Sarpanch of Navinal Panchayat,  MASS said, the action plan, which is in its draft stage, should confirm with the concerns expressed by the local people, accordance with the CPR. The fishermen, MASS said, faced an "unsure future”, because fisherfolk till now were "self-sufficient communities". 

Comments

TRENDING

When Pakistanis whispered: ‘end military rule’ — A Moscow memoir

During the recent anti-terror operation inside Pakistan by the Government of India, called Operation Sindoor — a name some feminists consider patently patriarchal, even though it’s officially described as a tribute to the wives of the 26 husbands killed in the terrorist strike — I was reminded of my Moscow stint, which lasted for seven long years, from 1986 to 1993.

Despite Hindutva hold claim, 18% Hindus in US don't want to be identified with Hinduism!

Scanning through news items on the Google News app on my mobile — which is what I do almost every morning — I came across a story published on India.com, which I found somewhat misleading. The headline said, "Muslim population drops significantly in THIS country as over 25% Muslims leave Islam due to…, the country is…"

Tracking a lost link: Soviet-era legacy of Gujarati translator Atul Sawani

The other day, I received a message from a well-known activist, Raju Dipti, who runs an NGO called Jeevan Teerth in Koba village, near Gujarat’s capital, Gandhinagar. He was seeking the contact information of Atul Sawani, a translator of Russian books—mainly political and economic—into Gujarati for Progress Publishers during the Soviet era. He wanted to collect and hand over scanned soft copies, or if possible, hard copies, of Soviet books translated into Gujarati to Arvind Gupta, who currently lives in Pune and is undertaking the herculean task of collecting and making public soft copies of Soviet books that are no longer available in the market, both in English and Indian languages.

Beyond Indus water treaty suspension: A 'nationalist' push despite harsh climate realities

The suspension of the Indus Water Treaty (IWT) appears to have pushed the middle classes, at least in Prime Minister Narendra Modi's home state, Gujarat, further towards what the powers-that-be would consider—a "positive" direction. As usual, during my morning walk, I tried talking with a neighbour about what impact it would have. Ignoring what is widely considered a "security lapse," this person, who had just returned after buying milk, compared the Modi move with Trump.

Adani Group a key player in Indo-Israel defence cooperation: Tel Aviv daily

Said to be one of the most influential Israeli dailies, "Haaretz" (literally: News of the Land) has identified the Adani Group—known to be close to Prime Minister Narendra Modi—as one of the key Indian business houses engaged in defence cooperation with Israel. Pointing out that India supplied the Israeli military with Hermes 900 drones, the daily reported that this advanced aerial vehicle came off “the production line in a factory set up in Hyderabad, as part of the cooperation between the Israeli Elbit and India's Adani Group.”

A sector under siege? War and real estate: Navigating uncertainty in India's expanding market

I was a little surprised when I received an email alert from a top real estate consultant, Anarock Group , titled "Exploring War’s Effects on Indian Real Estate—When Conflict Meets Concrete," authored by its regional director and head of research, Dr. Prashant Thakur. I had thought that the business would wholeheartedly support what is considered a strong response to the dastardly terrorist attack in Pahalgam, Operation Sindoor. 

A conman, a demolition man: How 'prominent' scribes are defending Pritish Nandy

How to defend Pritish Nandy? That’s the big question some of his so-called fans seem to ponder, especially amidst sharp criticism of his alleged insensitivity during his journalistic career. One such incident involved the theft and publication of the birth certificate of Masaba Gupta, daughter of actor Neena Gupta, in the Illustrated Weekly of India, which Nandy was editing at the time. He reportedly did this to uncover the identity of Masaba’s father.

Environmental concern? Global NGO leads campaign urging banks to cut ties with Odisha steel project

A decade after the withdrawal of the South Korean multinational POSCO from Odisha following large-scale protests, questions remain about whether India-based JSW Steel, which took over the project, can successfully revive the 13.2 million tonnes per annum (MTPA) steel plant and coal-fired power plant. POSCO initiated the project in 2005 but exited in 2017 due to sustained local opposition.

Irrational? Basis for fear among Hindus about being 'swamped' by Muslims

I was amused while reading an article titled "Ham Paanch, Hamare Pachees", shared on Facebook, by well-known policy analyst Mohan Guruswamy, an alumnus of the John F. Kennedy School of Government, Harvard University, and the Graduate School of Business, Stanford University. Guruswamy, who has also worked as an advisor to the Finance Minister with the rank of Secretary to the Government of India, seeks to probe, as he himself states, "the supposed Muslim attitude to family planning"—a theme that was invoked by Narendra Modi as Gujarat Chief Minister ahead of the December 2002 assembly polls.

Olympics ready? Overflowing gutters in Amit Shah's high profile constituency: Vejalpur, beyond

A few days ago, I was talking to a close acquaintance who used to live in Bawla, a small town about 35 km west of Ahmedabad. It's an industrial hub with rice processing mills, cotton ginning units, and pharmaceutical companies. The acquaintance, from a very ordinary middle-class background, lived there because his son worked in one of the major pharmaceutical units nearby. However, he recently moved to a housing society in Ahmedabad, and I asked him why.