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Press Release

01 February 1999

Bajpe residents resist survey of Land for expansion of Mangalore Airport

MLA Ramnath Rai leads delegation to lodge protest with Commissioner

On the 17^th and 18^th January, an unidentified team arrived at the villages of Adyapady, Malavoor and Kolambe villages to survey both private as well as acquired property for the Mangalore Airport Expansion project of the Airports Authority of India (AAI). They claimed the survey was being conducted on behalf of the Aerodrome Officer, Bajpe.

Project affected communities with the active support of surrounding village communities resisted the survey on both days successfully, and drove the surveyors away. The communities informed the Deputy Commissioner (D.C.) of Mangalore about the survey, who till then was totally unawares of the activity. It was only then that the Senior Aerodrome Officer of Bajpe airport officially wrote to the D. C. that the survey was being conducted for the AAI.

It may be recalled that the Samithi has been leading the resistance against the expansion of the airport on various fundamental grounds including the fact that:

1. The project is being developed on a site which has absolutely no scope for compliance with the technical and safety standards set for airports by the International Civil Aviation Organisation, the National Building Code, and the Director General of Civil Aviation backed by various Central legislations and International Treaties.

2. There is no techno-economic feasibility report supporting the desirability of the project.

3. There is no Environment Impact Assessment for the project.

4. The mandatory Environmental Public Hearing has not been conducted as per the Environment Impact Assessment Notification.

Repeatedly, the Samithi has approached every authority in this regard over the past decade, and even approached the former Civil Aviation Minister C. M. Ibrahim seeking his intervention. Rather than consider the just and rational demands of the Samithi, the Civil Aviation Ministry continued to push the project, without any legal compliance whatsoever. The present Civil Aviation Minister Mr. Ananth Kumar has even gone to the extent of stating that the project would commence construction by January 1999, during his several visits to Mangalore.

The project mooted by the Karnataka Government on the request of the Mangalore Chamber of Commerce threatens to dislocate over 200 families, most being from extremely poor communities, and Dalit background. A more safe and appropriate location for the project involving the dislocation of a little over 50 families has not been accepted as this involves the dislocation of the District Minister B. A. Mohideen and various other well connected families.

During July 1998, Mr. Nagappa, the Assistant Commissioner (Land Acquisition Officer) of Mangalore, had resorted to tampering RTCs (Revenue Record of Rights) of the project affected communities by overnight transferring land rights from individual property owners to the Airports Authority of India. This outrageous misuse of power and violation of fundamental human rights was protested by the communities lead by the Samithi and MLA Ramnath Rai, and resulted in the Revenue Minister B. Somashekar flying in for a fact finding mission. Mr. Somashekar had assured then that until a proper opinion emerges from his office, no further or immediate action can or will be taken on the project.

The Samithi lead by Arthur Pereira had also lead a comprehensive Public Interest Litigation against the project which was dismissed by the High Court of Karnataka as being premature. In view of this the Samithi had written to the International Civil Aviation Organisation, the Airports Authority of India and the Ministry of Environment to comply with the requisite law before proceeding to act in any manner on the project.

That now a devious mechanism is being adopted by the AAI to threaten the poor project affected communities and probably dispossess them of their life sustaining lands is a most unjust, abhorrent and condemnable act.

Mr. Ramnath Rai, local MLA, who has supported the Samithi’s agitation all along, lead a delegation to the DC to submit a memorandum and demanded that no work should commence on the project, including survey or boundary work, till such time the Samithi’s long-standing and just demands are met. He also urged for precautionary action so the tense situation prevailing in the area would not get out of hand.

The DC has assured that no construction would be allowed. Further, he stated that he was not aware of the Survey, and would thus call for an explanation from the concerned authorities.

Fr. Ronald D’souza, President of the Samithi and Parish Priest of the Adyapady Church,

Mr. Arthur Pereira, Secretary, of the Samithi

Mr. M. Devadas, Treasurer, Karnataka State Dalita Sangarsha Samithi,

Mr. G. I. Shaikabba, President, School Betterment Committee, Adyapady

Mr. K. Murali, President, Yuva Vedike, Adyapady, and

the undersigned

Mr. H. C. Ravindranath, Advocate and Trustee, Environment Support Group, Bangalore.