Various fishermen’s associations have raised concerns over the construction of a pen-shaped memorial for the former CHief Minister M. Karunanidhi in the sea off the Marina coast. They say the structure will only become an obstruction to the movement of water and the sand and lead to closing of bar mouth of the Cooum.
K. Bharathi, South Indian Fishermen Welfare Association, said that fishermen of Ayodhyakuppam, Mathankuppam and other nearby villages still cast their nets in the Cooum at night to catch fish. “Since it is an estuary, it is where fish from the sea enter to breed. Even now the estuary gets blocked and has to be regularly desilted. If the structure comes up, the block will be even larger and put an end to the livelihood of our men,” he said.
J. Kosumani of Tamilnadu Meenavar Makkal Sangam said he and other fishermen did not have anything against the former Chief Minister in whose memory the structure was to come up. “In fact, I was given this name by Kalaignar. My father was an ardent party man. Even he would not want to construct something that would cause trouble to fishermen. The memorial should come up on the shore,” he said.
Another community leader said the memorial could be damaged in case of natural disasters. It would become an impediment for fishermen to enter the sea and would lead to sand accretion south of the statue.
