The BMC has decided to compensate the fisherfolk who face eviction owing to the state government’s ambitious coastal road project in Mumbai. The civic body has identified 1,343 fishermen and has allocated ₹136 crore for them.
Families to receive relief in three phases
Civic officials said that the families will receive the relief in three phases. For the first phase – from October 2018 to May 2022 – the compensation amount will be released by May 30 with 8% interest. The relief amount for the second phase will be from October 2022 to October 2023, and for the third phase from October 2023 till the first quarter of 2024. As per a report by the Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS), the BMC should pay the compensation amount till the end of the coastal road work.
Comp to last until 2030, enabling fishermen to switch livelihood mode
Civic officials said they are liable to pay compensation for the project that has been underway since 2018 and has affected small fishermen who work on the coast (hand-pickers) and net fishermen. The work and compensation will last until 2030, enabling the affected families to switch their modes of livelihood.
The 10.58km coastal road project has been planned from Priyadarshini Park to Worli Sealink to give relief from incessant congestion to a city that has been bursting at its seams for decades. However, the project has faced stiff resistance from the residents of posh localities to fishermen’s settlements. The fishing community from Worli has said that the project is midway and their livelihood has suffered a major setback. To assess their losses, TISS conducted a detailed study and submitted its recommendations to the BMC.
TISS report helps BMC to compensate
It was on the basis of the TISS report that the fishermen were bifurcated into two categories – fisherfolk who go into the sea and those who collect small fish, shells and rocks on the coast.
As per BMC estimates, the project will help save 34% fuel and 70% time. The average speed of vehicles on Mumbai’s roads is around 20-21 kmph. On the Coastal road, it is estimated to be around 75kmph. The entire project has been divided into three packages and involves sea reclamation of 111 hectares.