15 years on, the Tsunami-affected in Vembar still fighting for patta, basic amenities

As many as 15 fishermen families in Sintha Nagar, located 300 metres from Vembar seashore, are yet to get power, water supplies, toilet facility and free patta for their land, promised in 2004. 
TNEB had rejected their plea for electricity supply, citing lack of patta for the land.
TNEB had rejected their plea for electricity supply, citing lack of patta for the land.

THOOTHUKUDI: It's been 15 years since the giant Tsunami waves swallowed their properties and their livelihood, but even now, the fisherfolk in Sintha Nagar in South Vembar panchayat are struggling to get rid of the after-effects and bring back light in their lives.

As many as 15 fishermen families in Sintha Nagar, located 300 metres from Vembar seashore, are yet to get power, water supplies, toilet facility and free patta for their land, promised in 2004. 

When Tsunami struck the coast which was home to around 100 families, in 2004, 75 families were allotted houses at newly-constructed Tsunami Nagar. But these 15 families were not given houses as they allegedly lacked necessary documents. 

However, the then South Vembar panchayat president Mariyaselvam had shifted them to an unused government land near Sintha Nagar and had promised them free patta and other basic amenities.

Rubbing salt in their existing wounds, the fishermen said that the panchayat is now trying to evict them from the land due to pressure from realtors. 

Sources said that all the 15 families, belonging to Mutharayar community, have been practising a traditional method of fishing to eke out a living. "They engage in 'Karavalai' fishing, an ancient non-destructive method of fishing, while their women go for works under Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS)," they said.

Sixty-nine-year-old Panchavarnam said that they had been living in the fishing hamlet along the Vembar beach that was washed away in the 2004 Tsunami for several generations. "We have the old receipts related to property taxes paid in 1964, but the authorities denied a house in the Tsunami colony," she said.

A fisherman, Vairavan, said that there are around 10 school-going children in the area, but they are finding it difficult to study in the night due to lack of electricity. "Many drop out of schools when they are capable enough for fishing," he said. 

Another fisherman said that the TNEB official had rejected their plea for electricity supply, citing lack of patta for the land.

Another fisherman Marivelu, a father of three boys aged 19, 14 and 12, said that his sons had been into fishing for many years even though plenty of schools are there in the neighbourhood.

"Had there been electricity supply, I would have thought of sending them to schools," he said, adding that they need free patta for the land they live in or a safe place along the beaches so that they could go for fishing and run their families. 

Vembar-based activist A Gunasekaran said that the fishermen has Aadhaar card, ration card, and voter ID. "But still, the authorities have not taken steps to provide electricity and other basic amenities. None of the huts in the hamlet has a toilet and there is no public toilet as well. They also cannot avail a subsidised toilet facility under the Swachh Bharath Mission scheme due to lacking patta for their land," he pointed out.

When asked, an official, who preferred anonymity, said that the land they reside now has been classified as "government land used for tapping toddy", perhaps due to the dense palmyra trees.

Based on their petitions submitted earlier, a field inspection was conducted in the presence of village administrative officer (VAO), revenue inspector (RI) and Vilathikulam tahsildar. 

"The process hit a roadblock after objection from the realtors," the official said.

Meanwhile, another official said that free patta could be given as the land is purely government land. 

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