The New Indian Express ·
Secretariat plan ignores our claim to ancestral land: TN Fishers
CHENNAI: Fishermen from several coastal settlements in Chennai have opposed the Tamil Nadu government’s proposal to construct a new Assembly-cum-Secretariat complex in Mylapore, arguing that it threatens the limited land available for their livelihood while ignoring their long-standing claim over ancestral land. For fishermen of Mullikuppam and neighbouring settlements, the announcement has revived an old land dispute.
C Devan, a second-generation fisherman from Mullikuppam, called the move a “betrayal”.
“Survey nos. 4592 and 4593 are historically associated with Mullikuppam and include the areas where our ancestors lived and worshipped at an ancestral temple. This land has to be allocated back to the fishermen,” he said.
Fishermen allege that the project will affect at least 10 coastal settlements, including Mullima Nagar, Nambikkai Nagar, Bhavani Kuppam, Rajiv Gandhi Nagar, Dooming Kuppam, Irudhayapuram, Selvaraj Gramam, Nocchi Nagar and Nocchikuppam.
They trace their claim to the 1950s, when the Madras City Improvement Trust identified their settlement for slum improvement. The original plan, they said, envisaged individual houses, roads, water supply, streetlights, toilets and common spaces to store fishing equipment.
“Each family was supposed to get an individual plot of 875 sq ft,” said K Bharati, president, South Indian Fishermen Association. However, instead of individual fishermen’s houses, multi-storey housing was subsequently constructed and people from other fishing villages were brought into the area, he alleged. The fishermen now want Survey Nos. 4592 and 4593 earmarked for long-term housing, saying the land falls in a relatively safer zone under the Coastal Zone Management Plan than their present settlements.
The irony, they point out, is that many existing fishermen’s houses stand on unsurveyed government poramboke land along the vulnerable coastline. “These buildings are over 60 years old and have become dilapidated” said 34-year-old fisherwoman Mary Divya from Nambikkai Nagar.
Fishermen also fear that the proposed 20-lakh-sqft secretariat complex will further squeeze spaces used to store boats, nets and other fishing equipment.
“Within 10 metres to 20 metres, we have boats, nets and other assets worth several crores. Where are we supposed to keep them? You build all your buildings here, but when we ask for infrastructure necessary for our livelihood, there is no space,” Bharati said. Fishermen’s unions across Chennai are now being brought together to oppose the proposal.
