Fishermen to protest proposed inclusion of Loop Road under expansion of Blue Flag Scheme

Fishermen along Marina Loop Road will form a human chain on March 2 to protest the Blue Flag beach expansion.

Fishermen of 12 hamlets starting from Ayodhya Kuppam in Triplicane to Srinivasapuram in Santhome will organise a human chain on the evening of March 2 urging the government to give up the plan to include the Marina Loop Road and more beach front in the proposed expansion of the Blue Flag scheme. They also oppose the rope car that is coming up on the Marina and the proposed removal of shops from the Marina and the Loop Road.  

Representatives of the hamlets including Ayodhya Kuppam, Matankuppam, Nochikuppam, and Srinivasapuram came together on Tuesday to discuss the issues of urban fishing hamlets. “We gave up space already for this proposal. We moved our boats. But when bamboo fences were put up in what little space we had, we lost it and told them to remove the stuff, which they did after some pressure. We have 30 boats and 10 catamarans. Already fishing close to the coast has been badly affected by sewage and garbage,” said Murugan of Ayodhya Kuppam in Triplicane. Space to park boats belonging to Ayodhya Kuppam and Matankuppam are being affected in the present expansion of the blue flag beach.  

Many in Ayodhya Kuppam village are worried over the extension of the Blue Flag beach to more areas in the Marina and the loss of livelihoods due to removal of eateries and other shops. “Nearly 2000 families depend on the shops that come alive every evening. How can just 300 shops be allowed? What will happen to the rest? If the government gives us another space to vend our wares, or some other means to earn, we can move from here. It is a question of life and death for us,” said Umayal, a women vendor.  

Community leader K. Bharathi said that while fishermen were unable to even put up temporary thatches on the sands to mend nets, the Greater Chennai was installing bamboo fences, cabanas, changing rooms, and even toilets. “Construction for the rope car has been carried out on the sands. We don't know how that was permitted. Already the existence of fish shops on the Loop Road are under threat under the guise of some court order. We don't believe that the courts instructed the corporation to remove fishermen from the beach or our shops from the roadside. They have always stood by our side,” he said.