DMK trying to evict fishers with Thiruvidanthai eco-park along ECR, claims TTV Dhinakaran

CHENNAI: Amma Makkal Munnetra Kazhagam (AMMK) leader TTV Dhinakaran on Monday criticised the state government over the proposed 233-acre spiritual and cultural eco-park project at the Thiruvidanthai coastal area on East Coast Road (ECR) in Chennai.

Taking to social media platform X, he said that the fishing community has opposed the project, raising apprehensions that the sand dunes will have to go to make way for the park.

He said that residents of the fishing villages have raised a complaint against the Tamil Nadu Tourism Department, alleging that it is seeking permission to build permanent structures such as open-air theaters and sports grounds in a No Development Zone (NDZ), where construction is prohibited in coastal areas.

TTV Dhinakaran slammed the DMK government, claiming it was "evicting the fishing community who have been engaged in fishing activities for centuries in the Thiruvidanthai beach area in the name of a spiritual and cultural park project."

The AMMK leader stressed that environmental experts have also warned about the ecological impact of the park project, particularly the removal of sand dunes and local wells, which are essential sources of fresh water, stating that they could lead to seawater intrusions in groundwater.

Dhinakaran urged the Tamil Nadu government to drop the park project and not implement any more projects that could harm the fishing community in the future.