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India’s coastal populace alarmed over offshore wind projects
Fisher communities in South India Feb. 2025
The Government of India has begun implementing plans to install 450 wind turbines in the ecologically rich Gulf of Mannar region in Tamil Nadu in the south of the country. In February 2024, the Government invited bids for the development of 4 GW (in four blocks of 1 GW each) offshore wind energy projects off the coast of Tamil Nadu, specifically in the Mannar Islands, through international competitive bidding. In June, it approved 1 GW offshore wind energy projects (500 MW each off the coast of Gujarat and Tamil Nadu) – the first-ever such projects in the country – with a total outlay of 7,453 crores Indian rupees.
However, the Indigenous coastal communities of the Gulf of Mannar, such as the Paravar and Mukkuvar, have been left in the dark about the offshore wind projects. They have protected and sustainably used marine ecosystems and resources in the Gulf for generations and depend on them for their livelihoods, cultures, and lives. Their Indigenous knowledge has not been taken into account in conducting studies for developing the projects in Tamil Nadu, including with support from the European Union.
This briefer documents the concerns of the Indigenous coastal communities with the offshore wind projects in Tamil Nadu, which include:
- Commodification of mother ocean
- Loss of ocean rights
- Impacts on livelihoods
- Destruction of marine life
- Disruption of migratory species and other environmental impacts
- Effects on food security and leisure activities
The communities have accordingly stressed that no energy project in the Gulf of Mannar should proceed without their meaningful engagement and consent.
This briefer was produced through collaboration of the Association of Artisanal Fishers (AAF), the Neithal Protection Council, and the BlueGreen Coastal Resource Centre with assistance from the Asia Indigenous Peoples Network on Extractive Industries and Energy (AIPNEE).
Full briefer link: https://tinyurl.com/23ozjoaq