CHENNAI: For a decade, the State government has been appraising and approving the coastal projects in violation of Coastal Regulation Zone (CRZ) norms by not including traditional dwellers like fishermen as members in the district coastal zone management authority or district committees.
As per Section 6(c) of CRZ notification, 2011, the State government is mandated to constitute district-level committees under the chairmanship of the district magistrate containing at least three representatives of local traditional coastal communities including fisherfolk.
It’s been 11 years since the notification was issued, but none of the coastal districts in the State made fishermen as members, despite repeated appeals. Last month, the Chennai collector’s office through the fisheries department reportedly invited two fishermen representatives to attend the district coastal management authority meeting convened by the district environmental engineer (DEE) of the TN Pollution Control Board, but they were not allowed to attend the meeting citing that they were not members.
President of South Indian Fishermen Welfare Association, K Bharathi, and fishermen rights activist, K Saravanan, and member of Urur Kuppam Cooperative Society were the invitees. “We received a message from the fisheries department asking us to attend the coastal authority’s meeting on October 26. After going there, DEE asked us to leave saying we are not members and our names are not there in the G.O. Even the collector said only members of the constituting committee can attend and we were invited by mistake,” Saravanan said.
He said the government has been denying their rights for more than a decade. “Only fishermen would know where the traditional fishing grounds are located and whether the proposed project hampers their livelihood. If we are made members, objections can be raised at the initial stage itself.”
Additional Chief Secretary to Government in Environment, Climate Change and Forests Department, Supriya Sahu said, “Instructions will be given to all the collectors to comply with the CRZ notification norms.”
An additional director of fisheries in Chennai said, “We have been requesting the government. Once the revised G.O. is issued, the fishermen can attend the meetings.” Chennai Collector S Amirtha Jothi didn’t respond to TNIE calls or messages.