Date:25/05/2006 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2006/05/25/stories/2006052519420400.htm

Tamil Nadu - Chennai

Pammal civic body move irks residents

Staff Reporter

Local body floats tenders despite fisheries development corporation's offer to harvest fish

FISHING IN TROUBLED WATERS: Pammal residents have been striving for years to protect the Tirupananthaal lake, but now harvesting fish in the lake has run into controversy. — Photo: A. Muralitharan

TAMBARAM : The Pammal Municipality has called for tenders to harvest fish at the Tirupananthaal Lake, Pammal, even after the Tamil Nadu Fisheries Development Corporation (TNFDC) accepted the local body's request to harvest fish in the lake.

The local body's act of calling for tenders twice in 10 days despite TNFDC's agreeing to harvest the fish has upset residents here.

On May 2, Municipality officials wrote to TNFDC, pointing out that the water level in the Tirupananthal lake was receding, and the fish were beginning to die. The TNFDC replied to the Municipality the very next day, stating they were ready to harvest the fish.

They even conducted a trial where they netted more than 35 kilos of fish. But it was decided to wait for some time to harvest the fish that as there was plenty of water in the lake and draining it for the sake of catching fish would be a waste. The condition stipulated was that one-third of the fish caught every day would be given to the fishermen with the rest given to the Municipality.

However, on May 12, the Municipality issued a notice inviting tenders to harvest fish in the lake. Interested parties were asked to pay a deposit of Rs. 25,000 and tenders were to be opened on May 17, but the process was stopped following representations from residents welfare associations that TNFDC was already planning the harvest.

However, on Monday, the local body issued a similar notice calling for tenders to harvest fish; the tenders are to be opened on Thursday.

Members of the Federation of Residents Welfare Associations of Pammal and Nagalkeni recalled that sustained efforts by them to preserve and protect the lake from vested interests resulted in former Kancheepuram Collector K. Rajaraman granting rights to the residents in 2002 to breed fish in the lake and sell them and use the proceeds for maintenance of the lake.

Municipal authorities said they issued tenders as they were not impressed with the TNFDC's response; TNFDC officials said they had dropped the proposal for the time being. Residents said fencing of the lake, prevention of discharge of sewage into it and provision of a walker's pathway had been possible only due to their persistent efforts after overcoming obstacles at every stage in the form of vested interests.