Fisherfolk hold ‘jal satyagraha’ for Ennore creek protection

They say industrialisation and pollution have robbed them of their livelihood

In deep water: Fisherfolk from 16 villages protesting against e encroachments and pollution in Ennore creek.

Immersed waist deep in the Ennore creek’s waters next to the North Chennai Thermal Power Station, fisherfolk from 16 villages came together on Wednesday to protest against the encroachments on the creek and the creation of a new map that did not show the creek.

Raising their voice against bids to convert the creek into industrial real estate, the fisherfolk organised the ‘jal satyagraha’ to draw the government’s attention toward their discontentment.

A release from the Coastal Resource Centre, which collaborated with the fishermen for the protest, said that in July, 2017, the State Coastal Zone Management Authority claimed that an originally-approved CRZ map for Ennore declaring the entire region as a ‘No Development Zone’ was replaced by an updated map in which the Creek is shown as a petrochem park. However, RTI responses subsequently exposed this map to be fraudulent, the statement said.

Pollution from fly ash

Children from the fishing villages also entered the creek waters and scooped out fly ash dumped by the thermal power plant. “The water used to be crystal clear when we first settled here, but now it is brown and dirty. Earlier, we caught fish, crab and shrimp in plenty, but now there is hardly any catch and our livelihood is affected,” said an elderly fisherwoman from Mugadwarakuppam.

 

K.P. Vishwanathan, a fisherman from Kaattukuppam said that though several industrial units have been set up in Ennore, only few fisherfolk have joined them for employment. Most of them are dependent on the Ennore creek for livelihood, he said.

M. Anandan, another fisherman and resident of Kaattukuppam said that based on a National Green Tribunal case on fly ash dumping, an expert committee had visited Ennore in August and September 2016, and promised several redressal measures to address pollution of the water body but they were yet to be put into action.

Nityanand Jayaraman, environmental activist associated with the Centre, said that the fisherfolk would continue the protest till the government took urgent measures to protect the water body. He said the Expert Appraisal Committee of the Ministry of Environment and Forests (MoEF) overseeing clearances for developmental activities in Ennore, had promised to visit the site on January 5 and hold interactions with fishermen there to record their concerns.