Thrash out Coastal Road designs with fisherfolk

The Kolis claim to be marching to safeguard their livelihood, on Sunday. Pic/Sameer Markande

This paper reported a massive, mobile rally of fisherfolk that wound its way inside Worli village. The gathering that called for climate action and social change was a show of strength from the Koli community. The fisherfolk, the ones that put the fish into your curry, were protesting, what they call, some design of the Coastal Road.

They claimed pillars for the road must be 200 metres apart and not 60 metres as proposed, as only if the former distance is maintained that boats could navigate safely. They said there has been considerable loss to the fishing community with this project, and the authorities must now see that the design, at least, will do the least harm to fishing.

While this is a fairly technical issue, it is important that representatives of the fishing community and Coastal Road authorities debate this and come to a reasonable conclusion. When feasible, and we must try to do so, every project must try and safeguard traditional livelihoods and work around the initial plan so that a community is not harmed and we do not see the disappearance of a trade of skill or way of life in the future.

We must strive to achieve some balance, so that even as we race towards so-called development and modernisation, we try to do so while retaining aspects of the old way of life or at the very least allowing communities to adapt to the ‘new' by giving them means of survival.

Let us also factor in the human element when we build our infra; and our aspirations should surely not mean discounting those most affected by the change. The Coastal Road authorities should thrash out design aspects with those most affected. Though there is no pleasing everyone in all aspects, it is vital that the government proves that it can strike a happy and much needed equilibrium between community, culture and growth of commuting in the megapolis.