Eminent personalities express concern over ‘Project Blue’

Environmental teams, local weather activists, educationists, fishers and a variety of residents have written to Chief Minister M.K. Stalin expressing concern over the ‘Project Blue’ part of Singara Chennai 2.0 proposed by the Greater Chennai Corporation.

In their letter, 65 eminent personalities mentioned the mission ought to recognise and defend livelihood rights of fishers. They additionally identified that the same city beautification and renewal initiatives by earlier governments have been themselves a trigger for fear.

“Chennai’s beaches are not just objects of beauty and recreation; they are first and foremost livelihood and living spaces for the city’s fisherfolk. Even recreationally, the attraction of our beaches is the availability of open, unbuilt nature, not landscaped spaces and built infrastructure,” they mentioned.

While the seashores should be saved clear, inclusive and secure, and the federal government’s plans to enhance entry to the seaside, particularly to offer infrastructure to in a different way abled individuals have been welcome, any enchancment to the seaside entrance must be achieved contemplating the livelihood wants of fisherfolk and fish distributors and the safety of coastal communities, they mentioned.

In latest years, efforts have been made to evict fish distributors from the Marina Loop Road. “At a time when the economy is in the dumps, it is foolhardy to rob the livelihoods of self-employed women fishworkers who contribute to the economy with no assistance from the government. If the government wishes to improve working conditions for the women, it has to be done as per their suggestions and not with the objective of transforming prime vending spaces into exclusive recreational zones,” they mentioned. Such creation of unique leisure zones can be blatantly discriminatory.

They additionally drew consideration to the plan in 2009 to assemble an elevated expressway from Nochikuppam to Kottivakkam, and the ‘Integrated Development in Foreshore Estate’ plan to evict fisherfolk from Srinivasapuram and Pattinapakkam to accommodate malls, luxurious resorts and high-end residential complexes for personal events. These have been shelved after public protests.

“Project Blue should address the food, shelter, safety and basic needs of coastal residents. This would put us on the real path to becoming a world class city,” they mentioned.

The letter was signed by retired High Court decide Justice Hariparanthaman, S. Janakarajan, president, South Asian Consortium for Interdisciplinary Water Resources Studies, Ajit Menon, professor, MIDS, artist T.M. Krishna, members of Save Chennai Beaches, Dakshin Foundation, amongst others.