CHENNAI: Several fishermen from Ennore fishing villages staged a protest with their fishing boats against erection of transmission towers by Tantransco inside Kosasthalaiyar River, on Wednesday, which is the International Day for Conservation of Mangrove Ecosystems.

Apart from condemning the erection of towers inside the rivers on fishing grounds, the protesting fishermen also condemned the State Coastal Zone Management Authority's failure to mark fishing zones and fish breeding areas on coastal zone management plans.

"Despite clear orders from NGT to declare the creek and backwaters a notified wetland, the state government continues to destroy the wetlands with illegal construction that harms fisher livelihood and increases Chennai's flood risk," they said.

Meanwhile, Nityanand Jayaram, an environmental activist, alleged that the project has destroyed around 39 acres of mangroves in Ennore.