Enumeration for compensation after oil spill skipped fishermen, says NGO

The applicant organisation, Meenava Thanthai, stated that many of the fishermen have not been approached by the Department of Fisheries, before the Southern Bench of National Green Tribunal (NGT) on April 26. Counsel for the applicant, K Mageswaran said that there have been discrepancies between the numbers stated by the DG Shipping and the details they have obtained by filing RTI applications. 

“For example, the numbers stated by DG Shipping said that in Chennai, 18,896 fishermen and 20,020 fisherwomen were affected. These were society card holders. But through our RTI application, we found there were 21,885 fishermen, 22,227 fisherwomen, who were affected. In Kanchipuram, it was stated that 9,855 fishermen and 7,755 fisherwomen were affected but we found this number to be 10,064 fishermen and 18,989 fisherwomen. This doesn’t include other unregistered fishermen,” said the advocate. 

Mageswaran added that many of the local associations have been left out, while the Department of Fisheries pegged the claim amount at Rs 135 crores. 

Justice Dr P Jyothimani said that the Department of Fisheries shall permit the said association to put forth their claim. “We make it clear that the said society shall authorise a representative to make its claim to the department officials within two weeks. Any persons affected shall make claims within this period. The Department of Fisheries shall then fix a date and make an enquiry and appropriate quantum of compensation to be recovered from the ship owners. Such claims shall be substantiated by documents,” concluded the Justice.