Fishermen kick up dust as SEZ work cuts path to sea

A dirt track that cuts across the country’s first-ever private airstrip in Mundra Special Economic Zone has become the ground for fishermen’s protest. The track was closed by the Mundra SEZ authorities to fishermen on January 28 with the airstrip becoming operational. A move which has sparked off protest. According to fishermen in the area, with the dirt track becoming off limits, their access to sea has been cut off. “This despite the fact that the Adani Group, which is promoting the SEZ, had assured us that such a possibility would never arise,” they say.

With the setting up of the SEZ, the Adani Group had closed the dirt track passing through the airstrip to public. But, till January 28, fishermen had been allowed to use the track as the airstrip is barely 500 m from the coast. Deputy General Manager (Corporate Communications), Mundra Port SEZ, Kaushal Verma, said, “After the airstrip became operational around 10 days ago, we had to close the track to fishermen as well. Even the wall constructed around the airstrip has been built as per the guidelines of the Airport Authority of India. However, we have made alternate arrangements for the fishermen. A road has been laid next to the airstrip for their use.”

“We had been using the dirt track even before the airstrip came up. When the Adanis acquired Gauchar land in Gwersama village for the airstrip, they held a meeting with the fishermen community there. During the meeting, they had assured us that our access to the sea would not be disturbed. However, once the airstrip became operational, we were asked to take a detour of 500 m, and then, another detour of 250 m. Now, we hear that they are planning to extend the 1,900 m strip by another 800 m. For this, the SEZ authorities have been asking us to switch routes again. They are promising us an alternate road via Luni village, which would make our journey longer.