Will Recover Losses From Adani Port Protesters: Kerala Government Tells Court

The Kerala High Court was informed by the state government on Monday that steps will be taken to recover the loss suffered due to the violent protest and attack over the Vizhinjam sea port incident from the protesters.

Justice Anu Sivaraman, who was hearing a plea filed by the Adani Group against obstruction and blockade due to protests, said stern action should be taken in the matter.

The court directed the government to file a detailed report on the steps taken by it against the violence and posted the matter for further hearing on Friday.

Meanwhile, Adani Group informed the court that the trucks carrying construction materials were blocked by the protesters despite court orders.

The state government informed the court that 40 police personnel were injured in the violence in which 3,000 protesters took part.

The court asked the government to take all possible steps to ensure law and order in the region.

The court had multiple times asked the protesters not to block the road to the port premises and have asked the government to remove the shed erected by the agitators as part of their protests.

However, the government had on November 7 told the court that it was unable to demolish the protest tents at the port due to the presence of children, pregnant women and aged people among the agitators.

Adani Group had earlier claimed that the court's order to provide police protection for the construction work was not implemented. It has also sought demolition of a tent set up at the protest site.

A large number of people have been staging protests outside the main entrance of the multi-purpose sea port at nearby Mulloor for a few months.

They have been pressing for their seven-point charter of demands that include stopping the construction work and to conduct a coastal impact study in connection with the multi-crore project.

The protesters have been alleging that the unscientific construction of groynes, the artificial sea walls as part of the upcoming port at Vizhinjam, was one of the reasons for the increasing coastal erosion.

The High Court in its interim order on October 19 made it clear to remove obstructions created by protesters at the entrance of the port and asked the state government to implement it. 

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)