The case of the Tamil Nadu Transmission Corporation Limited setting up a tower in the middle of river Kosasthalaiyar between Athipattu and Kattukuppam in Ennore is now in the court of the Tiruvallur district collector. Fishermen and Tantransco officials will meet the collector on Saturday afternoon in a bid to resolve the issue. On July 26, World Mangroves Day, fishermen at Ennore protested against the Tantransco tower in the Ennore backwaters. More than 39 acres of mangroves have been destroyed, they alleged.
Trantransco chairman Rajesh Lakhoni told TOI that it was just one tower and the department had spent hundreds of crores to ensure there was no environmental damage to the creek. “This road, we will dismantle within a week after the tower is erected,” he said adding that the tower was important for evacuating 80MW of power to be used in Chennai and neighbouring areas.
But fishermen asked how they would dismantle a road laid 20 feet deep in the water. “It will block the flow of water into the ocean and impact our livelihood. They should stick to their original plan,” said the fishermen.
The fishermen also condemned state Coastal Zone Management Authority’s failure to mark fishing zones and fish breeding areas on coastal zone management plans. Despite clear orders from NGT to declare the creek and backwaters a notified wetland, illegal construction continued affecting the livelihood of fisherfolk and increasing Chennai’s flood risk, they said.