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PRESS RELEASE

10 March 2001

Government prepares to evict people to accommodate Mangalore Airport Expansion without complying with International Standards and obtaining Statutory Clearances

The Government of Karnataka is preparing to evict over 300 families, consisting mainly of Dalits and minorities, most of who are first generations settlers after generations of bonded labour. The stated purpose of this eviction is to fulfill land acquisition proceedings and handover over 190 acres of land adjacent to the existing Mangalore airport to facilitate its expansion to international standards, as claimed. A claim that is specious.

Over the past week the District Collector, Mr. Kapil Mohan, is threatening to take drastic steps in terrorizing the affected communities into submission, such as cutting off water and electricity supplies and stopping public transport. The communities have been resisting expansion of the existing Mangalore airport into their lands on the basis that the project is conceived in blatant violation of:

* All technical and safety standards for airport design and development as prescribed by the Aircrafts Act of India and the International Civil Aviation Organisation, of which India is a member country. For instance, the width of the proposed basic landing-takeoff strip is only 200 metres when the minimum prescribed is 300 metres. This could have disastrous consequences in emergency relief operations.

* No feasibility study of the project has been prepared, even as a decade has passed with the project being under the consideration of the Government. For instance, the expansion is proposed onto a cliff, and apart from the obvious risks involved, such a location obviates future expansion possibilities.

* No social and environmental impact assessment of the project has been prepared, or any step to initiate the clearance procedure initiated in accordance with the Environment Protection Act. For instance, the solid waste dumping site for Mangalore city is adjacent to the proposed expansion area in clear violation of prescribed standards and large scale industrialisation adjacent to the cliff.

It may be recalled that the Airports Authority of India had committed to the High Court of Karnataka based on a public interest writ petition (WP 37681 of 1997) that they would comply with all provisions of the aforementioned acts and standards in development of the project as required by law. Such commitments are being violated presently.

Considering that the project is proceeding even when most of the basic technical and financial information on its viability is not considered, and the mandatory process of Public Hearing per the Environment Impact Assessment Notification is not held, it is absolutely uncalled for that poor people must pay the price for the travesty of our Government's decision making. This even on critical infrastructure developments, and that without learning from a series of man-made disasters that greet us regularly.

We appeal to the press to investigate into this ongoing and potential human tragedy, even as we call for the Government to not initiate further any land acquisition proceedings till such time all statutory requirements on the design and development of the airport expansion are fulfilled as per national and international standards.

Arthur Pereira Leo F. Saldanha

Convenor Coordinator

Vimana Nildhana Vistharana Virodhi Samithi Environment Support Group