Fishermen to protest proposed inclusion of Loop Road under expansion of Blue Flag Scheme

Fishermen of 12 hamlets starting from Ayodhya Kuppam in Triplicane to Srinivasapuram in Santhome will organise a human chain on the evening of March 2 urging the government to give up the plan to include the Marina Loop Road and more beach front in the proposed expansion of the Blue Flag scheme. They also oppose the rope car that is coming up on the Marina and the proposed removal of shops from the Marina and the Loop Road.  

Representatives of the hamlets including Ayodhya Kuppam, Matankuppam, Nochikuppam, and Srinivasapuram came together on Tuesday to discuss the issues of urban fishing hamlets. “We gave up space already for this proposal. We moved our boats. But when bamboo fences were put up in what little space we had, we lost it and told them to remove the stuff, which they did after some pressure. We have 30 boats and 10 catamarans. Already fishing close to the coast has been badly affected by sewage and garbage,” said Murugan of Ayodhya Kuppam in Triplicane. Space to park boats belonging to Ayodhya Kuppam and Matankuppam are being affected in the present expansion of the blue flag beach.