Delimitation: Fisherfolk want their needs factored in

According to the 2011 census, there are 600 fishing villages in Tamil Nadu, with 45 lakh fisherfolk living in 12 parliamentary constituencies and 38 state electoral constitutions.

The city’s fisherfolk said ttheir needs and livelihoods should be considered, before the ward boundaries are redrawn. “The coastal wards are in RK Nagar, Royapuram, Tiruvottiyur, Velachery, Sholinganallur, Chennai, Mylapore and Chennai Harbour. We want the Corporation to ensure that the fishing hamlets are divided, so that there are at least a handful of villages in each ward. Since our livelihoods are dependent upon the ocean, we have specific needs and rules like the CRZ Regulations, which need to be ensured. The division should be in such a way that the fishing hamlets of a ward can approach the councillor to voice their issues and not be outnumbered and neglected,” said K Bharathi, President, South Indian Fishermen Welfare Association.

The fisher leader also pointed out that this is important, since the ward councillor is the point of contact for the residents to voice their views. “Since our livelihoods bring specific concerns, we wanted to ensure that the fishing hamlets in the divisions are divided on an East and South basis, which will ensure enough solidarity among the community, for grievance redressal,” he added.

Bharathi and other fishermen made a representation to D Karthikeyan on Friday, highlighting their demands.

“The fisherfolk and their needs have been systematically neglected by the government. But we are the ones who are called in during times of distress,” said the fisher leader. Corporation sources said that the ward delimitation process will address the concerns of the public.