CHENNAI: Extending their opposition to the proposed sixth drinking water reservoir for Chennai in the Kovalam region, fishermen from the region demanded that the fisheries department not issue a 'no objection certificate' (NOC) to the Water Resources Department (WRD) to implement the project.
Fishermen and administrators from the fishing villages spanning from Kanathur Reddikuppam to Mahabalipuram, Kokkilimedu Kuppam staged an attention-grabbing protest and submitted a petition to the Assistant Director of the Fisheries Office in Neelankarai on Friday.
The protesting fishermen said that the proposed reservoir project by the government in the Kovalam region poses a severe threat that will gravely impact the traditional livelihoods of the surrounding fishing communities, the fish breeding cycle, and the coastal environment.
"To prevent the fishermen from losing their livelihoods and fishing rights due to this project, the village administrators from all fishing hamlets have demanded that the Department of Fisheries and Fishermen Welfare must not issue the No Objection Certificate," they added.
A few days ago, the Tamil Nadu State Coastal Zone Management Authority (TNSCZMA) issued CRZ (Coastal Regulation Zone) clearance to the Water Resources Department (WRD) to create the reservoir for drinking water purposes near Tiruporur.
While the fishermen fear loss of their livelihood, environmentalists warn that the natural ecosystem of the region, which has the last remaining brackish-water wetland ecosystem in Chennai's suburban region, will be affected, since the area has rich mangrove forests and functions as a critical bio-corridor linking the sea and the estuary through Muttukadu, supporting nutrient exchange and marine biodiversity.
They also alleged that the approval was given in 16 days and without conducting essential hydrological, geological, salinity, biodiversity, and groundwater studies demanded by the technical expert committee (TEC).
The proposed reservoir will be constructed at Rs 471 crore, covering 4,375 acres. The reservoir will have a depth of 3 metres and store 1.655 TMC of water.