Chennai, Feb 25 (NationPress) Rising tensions are being felt along the coastline of Chennai as fishermen from 12 villages, spanning from Ayodhya Kuppam in Triplicane to Srinivasapuram in Santhome, prepare for a significant human chain protest on the evening of March 2.

This demonstration aims to persuade the state government to abandon its plans for the expansion of the Blue Flag beach project at Marina and to cease the construction of a rope car on the beach.

Fishermen leaders from Ayodhya Kuppam, Mattankuppam, Nochikuppam, and Srinivasapuram have expressed deep concerns regarding what they describe as serious threats to their livelihoods arising from recent coastal development efforts.

In addition to opposing the Blue Flag expansion, the fishing community is against the proposed removal of shops along Marina Loop Road and adjacent beachfront areas. They stress that while they do not oppose development, any increase in tourism infrastructure must not infringe upon traditional fishing rights, vending opportunities, and access to the coastline. They have called for organized discussions with officials before any further work takes place.

Selvaraj, a fisherman from Ayodhya Kuppam, stated that the community has already made sacrifices during previous phases of the project. “We relinquished space and relocated our boats when the Blue Flag initiative was initially introduced. However, when bamboo fences were installed in the limited area we had left, we lost that too. After we raised our concerns, they removed it. We have 30 boats and 10 catamarans here. Fishing close to the shore is severely impacted due to sewage and waste issues. Now, our boat parking space is also diminishing,” he remarked.

Residents are worried that further Blue Flag expansion could completely displace fishing families from the beach.

Community members believe that spaces historically used for boat docking and net drying are increasingly becoming limited. Concerns are also rising among vendors who rely on evening beach sales. One woman vendor shared that nearly 2,000 families depend on the eateries and small shops operating along Marina and Loop Road.

“Why are only 300 shops permitted? What happens to the rest? If the government can provide alternative locations or other means of livelihood, we may consider relocating. Otherwise, this is a matter of survival for us,” she asserted.

Community leader K. Bharathi criticized what he termed “unequal enforcement.” He claimed that while fishermen are barred from setting up temporary structures to mend nets, municipal authorities are installing bamboo fences, cabanas, changing rooms, toilets, and even constructing a rope car on the sands.

The fishermen have urged the government to engage in discussions prior to moving forward, warning that development without safeguarding livelihoods will have dire consequences for Chennai’s traditional coastal communities.