Nochikuppam fishermen want Blue Flag beach project shifted close to Anna Square
On Tuesday, over 50 fishermen and vendors of Nochikuppam staged a protest against the Blue Flag beach project near Marina Beach for Rs 6 crore. The local body has floated a tender to carry out various developmental works at the beach.
CHENNAI: As works for the Blue Flag beach project near Marina Beach faced flak from the fishermen of Nochikuppam, they have now approached the Greater Chennai Corporation commissioner J Kumaragurubaran on Thursday to shift the project close to Anna Square. They have also requested a community centre and shop space on Loop Road to sell fish on the road instead of the newly inaugurated complex.
On Tuesday, over 50 fishermen and vendors of Nochikuppam staged a protest against the Blue Flag beach project near Marina Beach for Rs 6 crore. The local body has floated a tender to carry out various developmental works at the beach. The community claimed that the project would affect their livelihood and urged the civic body to withdraw the project. A meeting was held with the GCC commissioner on Thursday.
Discussing the fishers’ demands, the commissioner asked them to suggest a suitable place for the project and ensured it would be done instead of the place identified earlier- Gandhi Salai to Nochikuppam.
“The fishermen of Nochikuppam do not want Blue Flag Beach in Loop Road since they want the area to be maintained as such. We have agreed to it, but the project has not been withdrawn. We have asked them to suggest a suitable place along Marina,” said GCC commissioner Kumaragurubaran.
Based on the discussion held with the civic authorities, the fishermen of Nochikuppam has suggested a place behind Marina swimming pool at Anna Square near the Marina beach for the Blue Flag Beach.
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“The commissioner assured that the project will not be done from Gandhi Salai to Nochikuppam since it would affect our livelihood. Also, if the project takes place at Marina Beach, it will impact the small shops’ businesses. So, we have suggested a place at Anna Square, where there are no fishermen, and there is sufficient space for their project,” said J Kosumani, a fisherman at Nochikuppam.
On the other hand, the fishermen requested to vacate the vendors from the modern fish market on Loop Road and set up a shelter on the roadside. The commissioner said they would discuss the same with Deputy Chief Minister Udhayanidhi Stalin. In addition, the fisher folks have asked for community centres for family functions, and the civic body is in the process of identifying the place.
