Eight months after the oil spill on the Ennore coast crippled the lives of 1.12 lakh fishermen in Chennai, Tiruvallur and Kancheepuram districts, their compensation has been mired in dispute over the quantum of loss claimed by a section of fishermen from Kasimedu and the neighbourhood. The bone of contention is the revised claim form submitted by about 18,000 fishermen from Kasimedu and surrounding villages, in which the loss was pegged between `2 lakh and `3L – substantially higher than earlier claim of `18,000. The Fisheries department said 1,12,051 people from 18 villages in three districts were affected due to the oil spill. We have scrutinised all claims and found duplication of 18,000 forms. There were also false claims, an official alleged. However, the Meenava Thanthai Nala Sangam, through which the disputed claim forms were submitted, has charged the department with getting its calculations wrong, and moved the National Green Tribunal. The compensation amount fixed at `15,000 was based on the losses suffered by the State Fisheries Development Corporation, which, the fishermen contended, did not reflect reality. They arbitrarily fixed the compensation amount without taking into consideration big and small vendors and boat-owners, and deep-sea fishing vessels. Our demand is to calculate the loss on the basis of each individual’s earning capacity, said association president K R Selvaraj. Loss quantum revised The State Fisheries department revised the quantum of total livelihood loss to D203.2 cr from the initial estimate of D135 crore and forwarded it to the government. This is to be recovered from the insurer of MT Dawn Kancheepuram, which spilled tonnes of heavy fuel oil after colliding with LPG carrier BW Maple.