Fact-finding report asks Karnataka govt. to revoke environmental clearance to Honnavar port project

A fact-finding report on the Honnavar Port Project, which was released on Tuesday, has called on the State government to immediately revoke the environmental clearance granted to the Honnavar Port Project.

The report prepared by the All Indian Central Council of Trade Union (AICCTU), FridaysForFuture-Karnataka (FFF-K), and People’s Union for Civil Liberties (PUCL) is a follow up to a fact-finding conducted in 2024.

In its recommendation to the government, it has demanded that an independent and participatory environmental and social impact assessment be done that fully considers the concerns of the local community.

Further, it said that all ongoing construction and road work connected to the project must be halted until legal and procedural requirements are complied with.

“The government must also conduct a formal survey of residential and occupational land in Tonka 1 and Tonka 2 fishing villages and take steps to recognise and formalise land and housing rights of residents who have lived there for decades,” the report said.

The report has recommended that the government must unconditionally withdraw all criminal cases filed against residents and protestors in relation to demonstrations held against road and port.

It has also recommended to the Union Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change to strengthen regulatory oversight of the State Environment Impact Assessment Authority and State Coastal Zone Management Authority and develop mechanisms for review and accountability in cases where approvals are granted despite statutory violations.

It added that the construction of breakwaters will lead to the gradual erosion of the coast itself. “The Sharavathi estuary is home to a variety of fish, including prized estuarine species, and the beach serves as a nesting ground for the Olive Ridley Turtle, an endangered and protected species under the Schedule I of the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972,” it said.

The report was released by environmental activist Medha Patkar, who also met Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and urged him to revoke the project. “The first and foremost question is whether this port project is being pushed forward in compliance with all kinds of laws whether they are land related laws or environmental-related laws the answer is no,” she said.

She added that clearances for the project have been attained not based on facts but fake assessments.

“The Honnavar Port Project has been planned since 2010, and it is said to have received various kinds of clearances, which include environmental clearance, clearance under the Coastal Regulation Zone (CRZ) notification. All these clearances are based on facts but on fake commitments and assessments,” she added.