Fisherfolk oppose plan to build Secretariat at Foreshore Estate
Fishermen along Chennai’s Marina Loop Road staged peaceful demonstrations on Sunday, hoisting black flags on boats, fish stalls, net-mending sheds and homes to protest the State government’s proposal to establish a new Secretariat complex at Pattinapakkam (Foreshore Estate). The protesters also demanded the return of lands in Srinivasapuram that they say were originally owned by the fishing community.
Protest along the coast
From the early hours, residents across several coastal hamlets displayed black flags as a unified sign of dissent. In Srinivasapuram, villagers carried black flags through the narrow lanes in a march that organisers described as calm but resolute. Protest leaders said their appeal is two-fold: withdraw the Secretariat project planned along the Foreshore Estate stretch, and restore land rights in Srinivasapuram to the community.
“The lands originally belonged to fishermen. They were taken over by the [Tamil Nadu] Housing Board with the promise that we will get homes built on them. But we were cheated. We want those lands to be returned to us,” a fisherman said, echoing a long-standing grievance in the locality.
Key demands
The fishing community has pressed for the construction of new homes for an estimated 15,000 fishermen and their families living along the Marina Loop Road, noting that most existing houses were built 40 to 50 years ago and are in urgent need of replacement. Protesters argued that large infrastructure projects proposed for the coast should not come at the expense of residents’ rehabilitation, safety and livelihoods.
Representatives said their demands have been formally submitted to the Chief Minister’s Special Cell. “We hope the government will take a positive decision on the issue. Since we are the stakeholders who matter the most, we request the government to appoint someone to listen to our grievances before taking such a major decision. We are holding protests only because nobody has discussed the issue with us,” said fishermen leaders G.R. Vijayan and K. Bharathi.
Communities involved
Sunday’s actions were coordinated across a string of coastal settlements: Nochikuppam, Bhavanikuppam, Domingkuppam, Rajiv Gandhi Nagar, Mullikuppam/Srinivasapuram, Mullimanagar, Nambikai Nagar, Selvarajpuram and Irudayapuram. Local associations said they would continue staging peaceful protests in phases to draw the attention of Chief Minister C. Joseph Vijay to their concerns. Organisers added that if authorities open a dialogue, they are prepared to present detailed proposals on housing, land restitution and coastal safety measures.
Foreshore Estate plan at the centre of dispute
The State’s plan to locate a new Secretariat at Pattinapakkam has triggered anxiety among coastal residents who fear displacement, pressure on fragile shoreline ecosystems and the possibility of being excluded from decision-making about development in their neighbourhoods. Fisherfolk leaders argue that any major government complex in the Foreshore Estate area should be preceded by comprehensive consultations with primary stakeholders, including residents whose daily livelihoods are tied to the sea.
While the protesters said they were not opposed to development, they insisted that the government address unresolved commitments in Srinivasapuram and other kuppams first, particularly where public housing and basic infrastructure have lagged for decades.
Call for dialogue and next steps
Community representatives reiterated that their outreach to the Chief Minister’s office is intended to open a formal channel for listening to grievances and negotiating solutions before decisions are finalised. They emphasised that the current wave of demonstrations was prompted by what they described as a lack of consultation. In the coming days, village committees plan to coordinate additional awareness campaigns and flag-hoisting drives along the coast to maintain pressure for engagement.
Conclusion
The peaceful flag protests along the Marina Loop Road have brought longstanding coastal community demands back into sharp focus: land restitution in Srinivasapuram, dignified housing for thousands of fisher families, and meaningful participation in decisions about the future of Foreshore Estate. As fishermen’s associations prepare a series of actions, they have urged the government to appoint an interlocutor and initiate talks, signalling that timely dialogue could avert further escalation while ensuring that development plans account for the needs and rights of those who live and work on Chennai’s coast.
