A cross-section of fishermen from Nochikuppam demanded that their fish market be notified as a heritage market since it has been in existence for several decades at the same spot. They said even according to official records, the village had been in existence since 1945, which meant it was at least over 70 years old.
The fishermen were speaking at a meeting convened by the Greater Chennai Corporation on Saturday. K. Bharathi, former vice-president, Nochikuppam Meenavar Grama Sabai, said there were over 200 persons selling fresh fish that landed on the beach in their village.
A traditional right
“The village will cooperate with government agencies and will help them keep the beach clean and not block traffic. But we cannot move our market, as we would have to forego a right that all fishing hamlets have traditionally — to sell fish in their own villages. We have been asking the Corporation to construct a market adjacent to where we sell presently, but there has been no response,” he said. Maran, a resident, said in 1985, there was police action against fishermen, and boats and nets were removed from the sands of Marina, but after a Supreme Court order, everything was returned. “In our case, the civic body and the police are unnecessarily trying to remove us in the name of beautification,” he said.
Senior officials of the Corporation requested that the fishermen represent their views directly in court, where a case pertaining to the Marina Loop Road is being heard.