The life for fishermen living in Vasuvanipalem starts before the break of the dawn as they set out on a sail venturing into the deep sea, rowing their catamarans and spreading the nets to get a good catch. As men leave their homes and their loved ones little early, women plan their day to market the varieties caught by their husbands.
This is a slice of Vasuvanipalem, a fishing hamlet that came into existence eight decades ago. Stretching along Lawson’s Bay Beach, this neighbourhood is now a place where over 4,000 people reside.
“Fifteen years ago, we used to have good market presence as the catch used to be in abundance. With the fish population shrinking gradually, we are now trying to explore alternative options to keep the home fire burning,” explains Lakshmikantham, a fisherwoman-turned- construction worker. Like her, several women in the colony have become domestic workers.
Fishermen in the colony say that the local breeds have become a rare sight in the recent past. “Given the health benefits, there was a huge demand for juvenile fish in the market. With marine pollution reaching its peak, they have eventually disappeared over a period of time,” says Kari Chinna Dasu, a fisherman.
Explaining the reason behind what led to a drastic fall in fish population, Perla Vijaychandar, a former corporator who was born and brought up in Vasuvanipalem, says, “A portion of the stormwater drain, originating from Mudasarlova park and passing through the Lawson’s Bay Colony, heads directly down the beach. As a result, the seawater is getting contaminated, leading to a drastic fall in fish population. This problem can be solved if a separate sewage treatment plant is facilitated to treat the drain water and allow only the treated water into the sea.”
Unfortunately, many pilgrims head to this stretch of the Beach Road to take a holy dip in the waters during ‘Sivaratri’, ‘Giri Pradakshina’ and ‘Guru Purnima’.
Park coming up
In addition, a park at a cost of over Rs.13 crore is being taken up by GVMC as part of the beautification project right adjacent to the colony. The residents of the neighbourhood feel that the civic authorities should look into solving perennial problems existing in the colony before wrapping up the project.
Zone II Commissioner: P. Nallanayya; Contact Nos: 2746314 or 9912349486.
