The Hindu Business Line : Vizag fishermen rally to protect livelihood

FISHERMEN in the Visakhapatnam district are planning to undertake an eight-day tour from September 25 to mobilise the community for protection of their occupation due to several industrial projects coming up along the coast from Vizag to Kakinada.

According to a release issued by the district committee of the Andhra Pradesh Traditional Fishermen's Association, the tour begins at Gangavaram village where a private port is coming up, displacing fishermen in two villages — Dibbapalem and Gangavaram. It will conclude at Vakapadu in S. Rayavaram mandal.

Mr M. Gurumurthy, District Convenor, said in the press note issued here on Friday that the Government was handing over lands along the coast to private industries and also to some public sector units, unmindful of the threat they were posing to the livelihood of the traditional fishermen.

``The coastal lands are up for grabs, as the Government is planning to develop the stretch from Visakhapatnam to Kakinada as an industrial corridor. The Government is taking no steps to protect the livelihood of fishermen and at every point we are being made to struggle for our rights. Without any of the basic amenities, fishermen are inhabiting the coastal villages and eking out a livelihood. Now, they are being displaced and marginalised,'' he alleged.

In another statement, Mr Ch. Narasinga Rao, CITU leader and a member of the CPM State Secretariat, appealed to the fishermen to make the campaign a success and fight the ill-conceived policies of the Government. ``The fishermen of Gangavaram have fought unitedly for a fishing jetty and the private consortium constructing the Gangavaram port has finally conceded the demand. A fishing jetty will be built at a cost of Rs 10 crore or so, for the fishermen of Gangavaram and Dibbapalem. The location has not been finalised yet, but it may be in the vicinity of Yarada hill,'' he said.

Article E-Mail :: Comment :: Syndication :: Printer Friendly Page

Stories in this Section
Turnover-based fee for commodity brokers likely

Vizag fishermen rally to protect livelihood

The knowledge revolution still eludes the Indian farmer

Inflation up 3.53 pc due to higher fuel, food prices

Rubber unchanged in dull trading

Shree Renuka Sugars registered as CDM project

Edible oils turn bearish on imports, better crop

SEA call to raise customs duty on vanaspati imports