CHENNAI: Families of fisherfolk on Loop Road near Marina Beach have been agitated by a proposed study by the Chennai Corporation to redevelop the area. They have urged the government to provide small shops in the locality, as sales have been dull ever since they were relocated to the new fish market.
They also accused the officials of evicting their business from the road and forcibly relocating them to a poorly constructed market.
“For many years, we’ve been selling fish along this road. But after the corporation re-laid the road, they said that we cannot sell fish here. Later, we had to run our businesses near the place where our boats and nets are stored. Through this, we managed to pay for our children’s education and meet all our needs. But now, our livelihoods have taken a huge hit ever since we were moved to the new market,” lamented Mohana, a fish vendor at Loop Road.
Fish vendors also alleged that many stalls were allocated to vendors who were politically connected or close to the authorities, and not to those holding Corporation-issued ID cards. “Despite submitting our complaints and highlighting our challenges to the authorities, no action has been taken so far. We requested the government to provide us with small shops 15 feet away from the Loop Road under the Roadside Protection Act 2015,” added Mohana.
Now, the Corporation has planned to redevelop Loop Road and a tender has been issued declaring it as a non-motorised vehicle road. “Last year, through the Mayilai Nochikuppam Fishermen’s Village Council, we demanded that the coastal areas from Nochikuppam to Srinivasapuram be declared as a fishing industry protection zone. We were able to get support from various political leaders, who voiced their support too,” stated K Bharathi, a fish vendor at Loop Road.
The market accommodates 360 stalls with various facilities including drinking water, electricity, toilets and sewage treatment plants.