PUDUCHERRY: Members of the Meenavar Viduthalai Vengaigal, a fishermen’s rights organisation, along with cadres of the CPI (M), staged a protest near Swadeshi Mills on Friday, demanding urgent rectification of the draft Coastal Zone Management Plans (CZMP).
Leading the demonstration, R Mangayarselvan, founder of the organisation, alleged that the draft CZMP maps had failed to incorporate vital community assets essential for the livelihood and sustenance of the fishing community. He pointed out that critical zones such as fishing areas, breeding and spawning grounds, net-mending spaces, fish auction sites, and designated areas for long-term housing — all mandated under the Coastal Regulation Zone (CRZ) Notification — had been omitted.
Mangayarselvan further alleged that 551.2 acres of common property in Puducherry’s coastal villages and another 175.04 acres in Karaikal had been deliberately excluded from the draft plans. “These omissions pose a direct threat to the rights, traditions, and livelihoods of coastal fisherfolk. The draft must be revised to reflect ground realities and the provisions of the amended 2024 CRZ Notification,” he said.
The protest also drew political support, with Leader of the Opposition R Siva and DMK convenor joining the agitation and endorsing the community’s demands.