Latest news with #CoastalAquacultureAuthority
The Hindu
2 days ago
- Health
- The Hindu
Fisher village battles illness, inaction over illegal shrimp farm
Recurring stomach pain, skin rashes, and kidney ailments have become alarmingly common among children in Kottaimedu, a tsunami-rehabilitation fishing hamlet in Sirkazhi taluk of Mayiladuthurai district. Villagers attribute these health issues to the saline and contaminated groundwater, which they rely on for daily use. They allege that untreated chemical discharge and waste from a shrimp farm operating just 50 metres from their homes — violating the Coastal Aquaculture Authority (CAA) Act, 2005 — is polluting the nearby canal and groundwater sources. Despite a clear directive from the CAA on June 3 instructing local authorities to cancel the farm's license, no enforcement action has been taken. The village, part of Thandavankulam panchayat, comprises around 300 families who were relocated here following the 2004 tsunami. Permanent housing, a government primary school, and an anganwadi centre were provided as part of the resettlement effort. 'Initially, there was only one shrimp farm near our village,' said Kannaiyan A., a community leader. 'In past decade several have emerged, with one operating just 50 metres away—well within the prohibited buffer zone of 300 metres from human settlements.' With piped drinking water from Kollidam available only three days a week, villagers rely heavily on groundwater — which they say has become unusable. 'The groundwater has been contaminated by the nearby shrimp farm, and our village is suffering as a result. Officials show no concern for our health or livelihood,' said Pakkirisamy C., a senior resident. 'We have raised this issue with many government departments including the district administration over the past decade, but nothing has changed.' Rajakumari T., whose 12-year-old son has been under treatment for kidney-related issues since he was nine, said doctors have attributed his condition to high salt levels in his system. 'We spend ₹5,000 every month on his treatment,' she said. Another resident, Chandrakala L, reported similar problems with her child. T. Sathya and B. Vetriselvi, president and vice-president of the School Management Committee, said that while the school sources drinking water externally, tap water is occasionally used for cooking—often followed by complaints of stomach pain from students. A majority of students from the primary school, whom The Hindu spoke to, reported experiencing skin-related issues. Following a case filed in the Madras High Court, the court directed the Coastal Aquaculture Authority (CAA) to review the matter in consultation with stakeholders. Based on its findings, the CAA issued an official order on June 3, signed by its Secretary Neetu Kumari Prasad, directing the cancellation of the shrimp farm's license. The Hindu has accessed the order, which identifies a 1.15-hectare shrimp farm located in an ecologically sensitive buffer zone near Kottaimedu village, in clear violation of the Coastal Aquaculture Authority Act, 2005. The order was sent to the District Collector, Revenue Divisional Officer (RDO) of Sirkazhi, the Tahsildar, and the Fisheries Department. However, no action has been initiated so far. When contacted by The Hindu, officials from various departments acknowledged awareness of the issue but cited procedural delays. An authority from the local government primary school said, 'We have reported the drinking water issue to the panchayat. The water we provide at school is sourced directly from the village, and we are unable to ensure separate treatment.' Nathiya, the Village Health Nurse of Thandavankulam panchayat, said she had not yet received any complaints regarding skin allergies or stomach ailments. 'I will ask the Health Inspector to collect water samples. If required, we will coordinate with the nearby Primary Health Centre to organise a medical camp,' she said. Murugan, the Village Administrative Officer, stated that he assumed charge only in March this year. 'I have heard about an order to halt shrimp operations, but I have not received any official communication or documentation,' he said. Mohan Kumar, Assistant Director of the Fisheries Department, confirmed receipt of the CAA's directive. 'We have been instructed to cancel the shrimp farm's licence. However, the farm operator has made significant investments and is close to harvest. No action has been taken yet,' he admitted.
New Indian Express
14-06-2025
- General
- New Indian Express
Pulicat ‘land grab': Shrimp farm units may face action
CHENNAI: A day after damning report by the Save Ennore Creek Campaign exposing illegal shrimp farms encroaching on wetlands in the Pulicat bird sanctuary's Eco-Sensitive Zone (ESZ), the Tamil Nadu forest department confirmed key allegations and announced possible action. In a communication to chief wildlife warden, the Chennai Chief Conservator of Forests, Ritto Cyriac, stated that the aquaculture farms in Thangalperumbulam village indeed fall within the 10 km default ESZ of the sanctuary. The forest department clarified that no permissions or No Objection Certificates (NOCs) had been granted for aquaculture activities in the area. More critically, the wildlife warden and district collector have reported that these farms —operating since 2008-09 — did not receive mandatory approvals from either the sub-divisional or district-level committees, as required under the Coastal Aquaculture Authority (Amendment) Act, 2023. The collector's office may issue show cause notices for unregistered and illegally functioning units, sources said. 'The coastal aquaculture farms can be registered only if it is recommended by sub-divisional committee/district-level committee prescribed in the CAA Act. It is informed by collector and wildlife warden that, the above committees have not recommended registration of these farms,' Ritto said. While he claimed the farms are in patta lands, revenue records show around 62 acres of government poramboke land classified as grazing grounds and floodplains have been encroached.
New Indian Express
13-06-2025
- General
- New Indian Express
‘Land grab' by shrimp farms threatens Pulicat sanctuary
CHENNAI: A grassroots movement committed to protecting wetlands in Chennai has flagged large-scale violations and alleged land grab by aquaculture farms in the eco-sensitive zone (ESZ) of the Pulicat bird sanctuary in Tiruvallur district. A report titled 'Aquaculture Land Grab' released by the 'Save Ennore Creek Campaign' on Thursday claimed 309 acres, equivalent to 34 cricket stadiums, have been occupied by aquaculture farms, of which 62 acres are poramboke common lands classified as grazing grounds (Meikal poramboke) and floodplains (Kazhuveli poramboke). The study area, Thangalperumbulam in Ponneri Taluk of Tiruvallur, is inhabited largely by Scheduled Caste communities. The residents largely rely on cattle rearing, agriculture, and fishing, all of which depend on access to common lands and the Kosasthalaiyar-Pulicat wetland system. According to the Coastal Aquaculture Authority (CAA) Act, 2005 (as amended in 2023), aquaculture farms must not be established within 100m of rivers, creeks, backwaters, or agricultural lands. Section 13(8)(b) prohibits farm siting in buffer zones of waterbodies. Guidelines under Section 3 require that common property resources such as canals, creeks, and sea must not be used in ways that interfere with traditional activities like fishing. Despite these rules, the report found that 173 acres of shrimp farms are located within prohibited buffer zones – 50 acres near agricultural land, 110 acres near the Kosasthalaiyar River, and 13 acres in both zones.
The Hindu
12-06-2025
- General
- The Hindu
‘Several shrimp farms set up on eco-sensitive zone of Pulicat bird sanctuary'
A study has found that several shrimp farms in Thangalperumbalam, a revenue village located within the eco-sensitive zone of the Pulicat Bird Sanctuary in Tiruvallur district, have been set up in violation of coastal regulation rules. The study, conducted by researchers from the Save Ennore Creek campaign, found that at least 309 acres (roughly equivalent to 34 cricket stadiums) in the village have been occupied by shrimp aquaculture farms. Of these, farms in 173 acres were set up in violation of environmental buffer norms that govern such activities within eco-sensitive regions. Livelihoods in the village revolve around cattle rearing, agricultural labour, and hand-picking prawns. These activities rely heavily on communal resources such as meikkal poromboke (grazing lands), kazhuveli poromboke (floodplains), and the Kosasthalaiyar-Pulicat wetlands. As per the Coastal Aquaculture Authority (CAA) guidelines, a minimum distance of 50-100 metres must be maintained between the shrimp farms and agricultural land. However, the study documented that at least 50 acres of aquaculture farms were located within this restricted buffer. Additionally, the CAA Act, 2005 (amended in 2023), prohibits aquaculture farms within 100 metres of waterbodies such as creeks, rivers, and backwaters. Despite this, 110 acres of shrimp farms were found operating within the buffer zone of the Kosasthalaiyar river. A further 13 acres fell within both agricultural and river buffer zones, compounding the illegality of their operations. Only 178 acres of the total 309-acre farm area, owned by eight operators, have valid CAA registrations, the study found. Nine acres fell under non-renewed registrations, while 60 acres on private lands have no registration at all. Meanwhile, a total of 62 acres of farms were built on encroached common land, which by law cannot be converted into private aquaculture farms. The study points out that the CAA had approved registrations for farms in violation of its own siting regulations. Out of the nine registrations granted in Thangalperumbalam, eight allowed farms to be established on areas that include prohibited zones near agricultural land or the Kosasthalaiyar river. The encroachment of meikkal poromboke and traditional cart tracks by shrimp farms has drastically reduced access to grazing lands. This had affected not only Thangalperumbalam residents, but also cattle herders from the surrounding villages such as Kadapakkam and SirupazhaverkaduEdayankulam, Andarmadam, and Jamilabad, who traditionally used these lands for open grazing, the study said. Mary, a resident of Thangalperumbalam, said access to poromboke was access to local sustenance and development. Agricultural labourers flagged the increase in salinity levels in farmlands over the last four to five years. 'The salinisation of our local food security is caused by the illegal siting of farms within agricultural land buffers; these should be removed,' said S. Devan, a resident of Thangalperumbulam. Ecologically, the illegal expansion of aquaculture poses a threat to the Pulicat Bird Sanctuary, as the use of bird scare devices within these zones turns protected bird species into perceived pests.
