Fishermen of villages around the Pulicat lake in Tiruvallur district, the second largest brackish water lake in the country, have urged the government to construct training walls to keep the estuary at Pazhaverkadu open through the year. It will allow proper exchange of sea water and water from the lake, thereby keeping the pH level and salinity at permissible limits.
P. Aalaiyan of Tada Kuppam in Andhra Pradesh said that though there was one more estuary at Raidurgh, there is not much fishing there. “That area has been silted up and there is no water. We have requested Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Jagan Mohan Reddy to take up desilting work. Problems have erupted between fishermen of the two States due to lack of fishing grounds because of the silting. If that issue is resolved, it would benefit lakhs of people,” he said.
The lake is located in Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu. Mr. Aalaiyan said that they had sought to peacefully resolve the Paadu issue with Mangodu village in Tamil Nadu. “We are willing to provide due compensation for the losses incurred,” he said.
