CHENNAI: A total of 446 fishermen families in Thiruvottiyur have been told to vacate their homes to facilitate the construction of Ennore Expressway. But what the government has given them was just a piece of land and they are left with no roof over their heads, said R Kanthan, president of the fishermen gram sabha of ‘Nalla Thanner Odai Kuppam’.
While almost three acres of land have been allocated by the government for families, no house has been constructed so far. “We have been asked to abandon our homes within 15 days and we have nowhere to go,” he said, adding that 260 families left the village earlier this year.
Land belonging to Arulmigu Thiyagarajaswami temple and the Revenue department has been alotted for building houses, according to a statement issued by the Director of Information and Public Relations. The statement added that an emergency meeting with top officials from the State Fisheries department, Tamil Nadu Slum Clearnce Board and Revenue department was held on Thursday.
A local policeman, who requested anonymity, admitted that no houses were ready for the fishermen to occupy. “Even the construction (of the alternative houses) has not begun at the site,” the officer said. The fishermen from the village are purely dependent on the sea for their livelihood and their skills are limited. “All our boats are parked in this coast. If we’re chased away without a place to go, we have no other source of income,” said Kanthan.