Dredging in limbo at Beypore port amid delay in EIA

Dredging at the Beypore port is yet to resume due to the delay in completing the environmental impact assessment (EIA), raising questions about the timeline and ecological consequences of the project.

The harbour development initiative, launched three years ago under a ₹11.8-crore contract awarded by the Kerala Maritime Board, was suspended after dredgers encountered hard laterite rock on the seabed, complicating the work and prompting calls for a review of environmental risks.

According to sources, contractors had expressed doubts over the completion of the work without a thorough revision of the funds sanctioned. They had also argued that the laterite rock could not be removed with the usual labour force and machinery.

The government had commissioned the National Institute for Interdisciplinary Science and Technology to conduct an EIA, evaluating potential impacts on sediment movement, fishing grounds, and water quality as the channel’s depth was proposed to increase from 3.5 metres to 8 metres.

A number of local stakeholders, including exporters and environmental activists, had expressed concerns over the prolonged procedural delays in completing the assessment. A local exporters’ forum functionary said dredging would be crucial for improving navigation and commercial marine traffic, and that the inordinate delay could affect the future development of the port.

According to the earlier plan, dredging to remove virgin material from the seabed and deepen the existing waterway was expected to be completed by February 2026. The lack of adequate draught—the vertical distance between the waterline and the bottom of the ship’s hull—had been restricting vessel movement to the port. The proposal for passenger ship service was also rejected due to the long-pending dredging work.

Meanwhile, Port department sources said efforts were on to resume the work after the EIA. They also made it clear that appropriate mitigation measures would be considered based on environmental regulations.