Ambiguity over CMDA’s beach project leaves fishermen anxious

CHENNAI: As the State government allocates Rs 100 crore to Chennai Metropolitan Development Authority (CMDA) to renourish city beaches, there’s widespread fear among the fishing community and environmentalists over loss of livelihood.

Nityanand Jayaram, an environmentalist, said that nobody knows CMDA’s for the project.

“Usually, projects and plans will be first devised, and then, funding is sanctioned. But in this case, sanction has been made without any plan. This created fear among the fishing villages along the shoreline. They’re anxious that officials would conceive works without any concern whether the works are necessary or not,” he added.

Under the Renourishment and Revitalisation of Chennai’s Shoreline project, the CMDA will carry out projects to protect ecologically sensitive areas, conservation of coastline, mitigation of effluent discharges and engagement of local community. A few days ago, the government allocated Rs 100 crore through a GO.

The project will cover a 31-km stretch between Marina and Kovalam. The government will form a special purpose vehicle to implement the project.

Meanwhile, a meeting was conducted in Urur Olcott Kuppam near Besant Nagar to discuss the project in which activists and villagers participated. During the meeting, several men and women from the fishing community expressed apprehension over loss of livelihood if the project was implemented.

“There is nothing about the project to support or oppose as no one knows anything. However, the implementation of the Swadesh Darshan project affected the livelihood of fishermen in Nochikuppam, one of the oldest villages in the city. Their only intention is to convert all the beaches as blue flag beaches,” Nityanand pointed out.