ABSTRACT
Mundra is a coastal region and administrative block in Kutch, the largest district of the western Indian state of Gujarat. The area is known for its rich biodiversity, with a fascinating interplay of inter-tidal mudflats and mangroves housing a rich diversity of seaweed, corals, fish and an array of other marine life. For about two decades now, the ecological sensitivity and unique socio-economic significance of this area has been under threat due to rising industrial investments, especially from private sources. For the people of the Mundra coast, this massive and fast-paced transition is now an everyday story. On the one hand, land which was previously used for fishing, farming, salt production or grazing activities is transitioning into the ports, coal-based power plants and cargo facilities; and on the other hand, long stretches of this inter-tidal area are being dredged to make way for coal and cargo-handling infrastructure. While many residents of this area are constantly negotiating the continuation of their livelihoods that are intrinsic to the ecosystems, the national visions for Mundra seem to pit themselves against local aspirations. Regulatory processes, expert scientific knowledge and legal decision-making – some of which requires undoing existing logics of nature–human interactions – work their way towards making this large-scale and rapid industrial transformation possible.
