10 whales washed ashore due to Sethu dredging: MASSC

Chennai, Nov 3 (UNI) Ten whales have been washed ashore along the Gulf of Mannar in the last nine months ever since dredging for the Sethusamudram Project began, according to the Movement Against Sethusamudram Shipping Canal (MASSC).

The manifold increase in the death of blue, sei and sperm whales, which was reported by fishermen and confirmed by wildlife wardens, was due to disturbance in biodiversity due to dredging activities, M MASSC Convenor Jeeva told UNI here.

Environmentalists were concerned as only 95 whale deaths had been reported in the over 100-year period between 1841 and 1945.

Mr Jeeva said the first instance was reported on December 26, 2005 near Rameswaram and the last on August 14, 2006 near Pamban.

Wildlife authorities of the area had informed the Central and Tamil Nadu Governments about the whale deaths.

The MASSC, too, had represented to the government, but was yet to recieve any response, he added.

He charged that over Rs 1.5 crore worth of fishing nets had been destroyed due to dredging in Nagapattinam and Thanjavur areas.

Usually, fishermen spread nets in the sea for a day and pull them in the next day. But now they were finding them in tatters, he claimed.

The MASSC is opposing the Sethusamudram Project, which involves dredging the Gulf of Mannar for a length of 167.5 km and a depth of about 12 metres, on the grounds that it would ruin biodiversity and adversely affect the livelihood of fishermen.

Mr Oscar Fernandes of the Human Rights Foundation, Chennai, an NGO which is part of the movement, told UNI they were planning to involve international organisations like Greenpeace as the death of whales was a matter of serious concern.

Several global companies had cancelled their bids due to environmental concerns and the presence of rocks in the project area, he claimed. Hence, the Dredging Corporation of India was given the contract.

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