Who will rehabilitate fishermen?

High Court's question regarding the affected of the Coastal Road Project

Representative, Mumbai

While implementing a big and ambitious project like the Coastal Road, did you not think about the rehabilitation of more than 700 fishermen affected by it? Should these fishermen bear the brunt of the government's indifference? These questions were raised by High Court to the State Goverment on Wednesday.

The court has also ordered the government to explain the alternative plan for the rehabilitation of the 17 fishermen affected by the project, for their livelihood.

While refusing to stay the project work during the last hearing, the court ordered the Worli Koliwada Nakhawa and the Worli Fishermen Sarvodaya Sahakar Societies, who approached the court against the project, to listen to the two organizations and allow the fishermen to keep fishing by putting nets along the shore until the project work starts.

In Wednesday's hearing, government advocate Poornima Kantharia submitted the details of the meeting with these two organizations to the court. After reading these details, the bench of Chief Justice Naresh Patil and Justice Nitin Jamdar pointed out that while implementing such a huge project, the government had not considered the rehabilitation of more than 700 fishermen affected by it. He also expressed displeasure with the government's stance.

At the same time, what about the rehabilitation of fishermen affected by the project? What kind of help is going to be given to them by the government? While asking such a question, the court heard that while deciding to implement a big and ambitious project, the government also has the responsibility to rehabilitate those affected by it.

Kantharia told the court that she was told that in an answer to this, the petitioners had no objection to fishing; but they encouraged fishing four to seven nautical miles away from the shore instead of fishing along the coast. The court decreed that the project work would create obstacles in fishing. Therefore, the government should plan an alternative plan for their livelihood. They cannot be abandoned like this. It is also the government's responsibility to take care of them, while providing such earpieces for the rehabilitation of project affected fishermen.

The court has directed the government to explain the plan at the next hearing.

Crisis on business

The project work started last October. However, the petitioners alleged that the project was launched without considering the Kolis. Apart from this, the necessary environmental clearances for the project have not been obtained. Based on the permission given by the Maharashtra Coastal Zone Management Authority (MCZMA), the project work has also been started. The petitioners allege that since the sea is being filled for this project, the business of fishermen between Worli Koliwada, Khar Danda, Chimbai along with Marine Drive to Kandivali has been affected.