EMRIP: Chennai Port Trust evicts over 90 ‘temporary’ sheds at Kasimedu

CHENNAI: Chennai Port Trust along with other department officials on Friday evicted over 90 ‘temporary’ sheds, used as storage units for ice to preserve fish, constructed inside Chennai Fishing Harbour, Kasimedu, as part of Ennore-Manali Road Improvement Project (EMRIP).The temporary sheds are constructed inside Chennai Fishing Harbour at Chainage of 150m to 450m along the alignment of EMRIP, the port said  in a notice issued to the fishermen.

Port officials also constructed over 90 shops as replacement in the Chennai Fishing Harbour, Kasimedu premises. “But these shops are over 300 metres away from fish unloading area from the boats. So, labourers might charge a little extra to transport them to these units.

Now, we pay `15 to 20,” said K Veeran, a fisherman at the Harbour. Fishermen also claimed they had been put up in the sheds for decades and it will be easier for them to have ice storage sheds close to fish unloading area. The EMRIP was planned to improve connectivity between Ennore and Chennai Port.