Fisherfolk seek Aaditya Thackeray’s assurance on coastal road

Mumbai: While Shiv Sena sources claim that the coastal road project will not affect Aaditya Thackeray’s candidature from Worli, some fishermen in the area have said that the party did not take them into confidence about catchment areas being destroyed by the project.

They said that Aaditya should give in writing that their livelihoods would not be impacted by the project.

The fishing community at Worli Koliwada constitutes a chunk of the population of Worli constituency and even Aaditya was seen visiting them Wednesday.

However, a section of the community said that the Shiv Sena was pushing the coastal road project in Worli that would destroy the rocky shore abundant in fish of the commercial variety.

“The sites where reclamation has already been carried out are not populated by fish. Earlier, they were a hotbed of big commercial fish. The coastal stretch near the police chowky and Flora hotel towards the Sea Link where reclamation has not yet begun is fetching us 10kg of big fish currently,” said Nitesh Patil, a fisherman from Worli Koliwada.

Mr Patil said that commercial fish such as Indian Salmon, Bhetki, Katla and Ghol fish fetched high prices. “The pouch of Ghol fish is used in surgeries and even the small ghol fish fetches prices up to `25000,” said Mr Patil.

The fishermen said that earlier too, they had pleaded with the Sena to stop construction of the coastal road in Worli, adding that Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray in February had said that he would look into their grievances.

“Uddhav Thackeray assured us that he will hear the fishermen. It has been six months and there has been no dialogue on the subject. Political parties are just giving us empty words. We want in writing that the coastal project will not hamper our livelihood,” said Harishchandra Keroba Nakhwa, former president of Worli Koliwada Nakhwa Matsya Vyavasaay Sahakari Society.

Vijay Patil who has been fishing in Worli waters since the past 15 years said, “Fishing around the rocky structures of Worli is our only source of livelihood. The saddest thing is that we were not even consulted about the project. There was no public hearing on the matter, and under the garb of the survey, reclamation work for the coastal road began here.”