Fishermen of Chennai, Tiruvallur and Kancheepuram are opposing holding of public hearings on the draft coastal zone management plans this month in various districts.
They say the hearings to be conducted by the respective district administration and convened by the Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board would only be an eyewash and that their objections had not been taken into account for over eight years now.
Threaten to hold bandh
Durai Mahendran of the Tiruvallur District Traditional United Fishermen Association said the fishermen of Pulicat area planned a bandh and a black flag agitation if the public hearing for Tiruvallur is conducted.
K. Bharathi of the South Indian Fishermen Welfare Association said that the maps prepared for over three years now were unclear and did not contain any input taken from the fishermen.
“Already, black flag agitations have been held in many places, including Pulicat and Chennai. We are planning bigger protests if the Collectors decide to go ahead with the meetings,” he said.
