Development Impact on Pokkali Fields A Case of International Container Transshipment Terminal,

Development always demands displacement as well as compromising the quality of environment.There is no doubt that the Vallarpadam Container Transshipment Terminal is a boost to Kerala economy as well as for the country's international trade scenario.But this project has done an irrevocable damage to our coastal areas where Pokkali indigenous organic rice cum prawn culture was practiced.The Pokkali-Prawn rotational culture system plays a very important role in maintaining the environmental quality as well as protecting our rich ecosystem.Due to this development project lot of people were displaced and hectares of wetlands were converted.The people who are displaced they not only lost their land but also their livelihood.The people who were traditionally practising Pokkali cultivation were generally unskilled and they are not able to move to any other occupation for meeting their ends.The damage done in the name of development to the environment as well as to the people is to be discussed seriously.