Coastal road project: BMC plans compensation, but fishermen unimpressed

Community says fishing is a seasonal affair and it would be impossible for BMC to calculate compensation

After strident opposition by the fishing community to the coastal road project, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation's now plans to compensate them monetarily. But, the community believes that as fishing is their only source of livelihood, no compensation could replace it, and that the coastal road would eventually destroy their livelihood.

In response to the concerns raised by the community in the case filed in the Bombay High Court, the civic body plans to compensate whatever damaged is caused to them. Senior civic officials said the idea was proposed as a possible solution to the state government last week.

In the petition filed jointly by the Worli Koliwada Nakhwa Matsya Vyavsay Sahakari Society Limited and Worli Machimmar Sarvodaya Sahakari Society, fishermen have opposed reclamation of land along the shoreline as part of the project. They said that their fishing activities were getting affected due to the ongoing work.

During the hearing on March 14, the division bench comprising Chief Justice Naresh Patil and Justice Nitin Jamdar had observed that the BMC should have figured out an alternative livelihood plan for the affected fishermen before taking up the project. It further said that in a bid to find a solution, the BMC was toying around with the idea of offering monetary compensation to the community.

Civic officials said the legal representative of the state government would submit a proposal in an affidavit to the HC during the next hearing. "The coastal road project is a move towards development. We have no intentions of harming anyone or robbing anyone of their livelihood. The idea of offering a compensation to the fishermen has been discussed with the government and they will present it before the court," said the official.

Speaking to mid-day, Harishchandra Nakhwa, president of the Worli Fishermen Society, said, "They are trying to mislead the court by making these proposals. We have been fishing for generations and it's the only job we know. The coastal road will destroy our livelihood and the BMC has not given any thought to it. How can they compensate us when our earnings are a seasonal affair?"

200
No. of fishing boats that venture into the sea at Worli

7,000
No. of people involved in servicing these boats and other fishing activities

Rs 13k crore
Estimated cost of the Coastal Road project

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