Fast against shrimp farms in Ramnad

Work for constructing three private shrimp farms, on about 10 acres, was being carried out in the area between Vedalai and Maraikayar Pattinam. Deep pits to store water had already been dug in the shrimp farms but due to shortage, the pits have not been filled with water. Condemning the setting up of shrimp farms, residents of both the villages observed a fast in Vedalai. 

One of the protesters, Padma, from Maraikayar Pattinam, said that shrimp farms will severely affect the environment of the nearby villages as waste water released from the farms would affect the quality of drinking water in the hamlets. 

About 400 families in both the villages rely on groundwater for their daily use and if it’s affected, they would have to rely on the tanker lorries which supply water at higher prices, said Padma. Haji, from Vedalai, said the shrimp farms were being setup without obtaining necessary environmental clearance certificates and it is rumoured that since the son of a local politician is involved in setting up the farms, all rules were being flouted.

Also, in the name of shrimp farms, illegal sand mining was going on in the coastal villages and because of it the groundwater level has gone down. So, the shrimp farms should not be allowed in the villages and the resources should be conserved, said Haji. 

A large number of school students participated in the fast.