Students form human chain to protest against dusty cargo in Chennai Port

Chennai:

Hundreds of students from several schools participated in a human chain demanding Port Trust withdraw its petition in Supreme Court favouring ‘dusty cargo.’

The protest comes in the wake of the apex court directing Chennai port to take pollution control measures within eight weeks ahead of deciding whether the 130-year-old port should be allowed to handle dusty cargo.

Royapuram Residents Welfare Association vice-president Ernest Paul said where will be pollution when the dusty cargo is not being handled after the High Court ban.

He said the eight areas of city surrounding the port are worst affected by the pollution which was one of the prime cause for filing the petition.

Paul said the protests will continue till port trust does not withdraw its petition in Supreme Court. “We have given them 15 days deadline after which we will hoist black flags in street and gherao port workers,” he warned.