Specific Information Service
VILLUPURAM: The State fisheries division has begun work on the controversial twin fishing harbours contained in the Kaliveli estuary bordering Chengalpattu and Villupuram districts. A number of entry roads are being laid on the nesting grounds of Olive Ridley sea turtles to facilitate the motion of males and equipment.
The pristine white sandy seashores on both aspect of the Kaliveli and Yedayanthittu estuary are frequented by Olive Ridleys for nesting. As on Saturday, group volunteers engaged with turtle conservation mentioned, there have been round 120 reside nests in Paramankeni, Thaluthaliyur, Panayur Chinna Kuppam, Alamparai and Thandu Mariamman Alamparai seashores and the quantity is predicted to peak within the coming days because the nesting season extends as much as April.
TNIE visited Alamparai Kuppam and Azhagan Kuppam, the place the dual fishing harbours had been proposed, every designed to park 110 mechanised boats and 300 motorised boats at a mixed value of Rs 235 crore. Work is occurring at a brisk tempo. Tonnes of building particles has been dumped on the Alamparai seaside for laying a motorable highway to carry boulder stones for the development of groynes. An space of 5 hectares of sandbar can be dredged to develop a 100 meters vast navigation channel connecting the Bay of Bengal and the Kaliveli backwaters.
A fisheries division official, who was on the spot supervising the works, instructed TNIE the highway work will likely be accomplished inside per week and heavy automobiles will likely be deployed to move the stones. The fishing harbour at Azhagan Kuppam is arising close to Yedayanthittu island, the place migratory birds congregate in giant numbers. Right here, a highway has been already constructed and a container ‘work-station’ cabin arrange. Purple flag posts had been erected for about 1 km marking the navigation channel route, the place dredging work will shortly start.
The irony is that almost all of fishermen within the surrounding villages are towards the harbour challenge. Primarily based on the knowledge gathered by TNIE, there are hardly any mechanised vessels in Chengalpattu and Villupuram districts. In Chengalpattu, there are solely 4 vessels and in Villupuram 24.
Athiyar, a motorised boat proprietor from Kottaikadu, mentioned there isn’t a demand for such giant jetties or harbours. The few mechanised vessels are presently utilizing both Kasimedu harbour in Chennai or Puducherry harbour.“The challenge will displace a whole bunch of small-scale and marginalised fishers, who rely on plentiful fish, oysters, clams and different shellfish. As soon as the harbours are constructed, the water will get polluted with oil spills and different discharges,” he mentioned.
Saralan, one of many only a few graduates from Muttukadu village, alleged that just a few large fishing villages like Kadapakkam, Azhangankuppam, and Alamparaikuppam will profit from the harbour, whereas over 20 small coastal villages depending on backwaters will likely be affected.
Nevertheless, M Murugesan, government engineer, Division of Fisheries, claimed there will likely be no opposed affect on the ecosystem or livelihood of small fishers. “The navigation channel contained in the estuary will likely be simply 40 meters vast, whereas the width of the lake is about 500 meters. There will likely be a devoted committee, composed of officers and consultants, who will monitor the disposal of waste. Possibilities of oil spills are minimal. Apart from, we’re receiving numerous purposes from the fishermen within the space for tuna longliners and conversion of boats into deepsea vessels for which the federal government gives 50 per cent subsidy.”
‘Defend fowl sanctuary’
The lately declared Kaliveli fowl sanctuary is contiguous with the estuary. Each are related by a tidal channel. Any air pollution within the estuarial waters will trigger irreversible harm to the fowl sanctuary.
“We urge you to take measures to guard the sanctuary and relocate the harbours,” mentioned Madras Naturalists’ Society president KV Sudhakar and its honorary secretary G Vijaya Kumar in a letter addressed to Chief Wildlife Warden Shekhar Kumar Niraj.
The proposed harbours at their current location will block the hyperlink of Kaliveli lake to the ocean, which is certain to have an effect on the meals availability for birds. “Harbours will encroach and affect a large portion of the wetland system, break its ecological contiguity and pollute its waters,” mentioned environmentalist M Yuvan.