The BMC will give out Rs 130 crore in compensation to the fisherfolk of Worli and Lotus jetty whose livelihood has been affected by the Mumbai Coastal Road Project. The municipal corporation had appointed the Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS) to assess the impact of the highway on the fishing community at Worli Koliwada and Lotus Jetty. TISS was asked to prepare a compensation policy and implementation plan.
Marginal fisherfolk like handpickers and those using cast nets in the inter-tidal zone will receive more than a one-time payment as they fish in shallow waters near the shoreline for crabs, shellfish, clams; the seabed and rocks in this zone are damaged due to dredging and construction waste.
Since these artisanal fishers stand to lose their livelihood, they will be paid reparations annually for six years from date of completion of the project i.e. from May 2024 to May 2030. Besides, a 10% contingency fund will be created in case any fishermen are excluded and later turn up to claim compensation, added the official. Depending on the impact, compensation recommended ranges from Rs 97,000 for handpickers, mostly women, to Rs 4.56 lakh for boat owners.
To gather data, a census of boat owners was conducted and other categories of respondents identified. These included tandel, khalashi, handpicker, castnet user, fish-seller, dry fish seller and net maker. In all, 560 affected persons at Worli and 120 at Lotus Jetty were found. There were 156 boat owners at Worli and 27 at Lotus Jetty. Among fish sellers, there were 203 and four dry fish sellers in Worli while Lotus Jetty has one fish seller and no dry fish seller. The khalashis (labourers) were found to be the most vulnerable, dependent on daily income for survival.
The study focused on how the project could contribute in achieving UN’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDG), provide social protection for affected fisherfolk and build resilience of those in vulnerable situations, reducing their exposure to and impact from climate-related events.
“These once strong and self-sufficient families may even have to look for work in daily wage…there are far reaching consequences on the community at large…loss of livelihood would be far more than losing a job or reducing earning capacities. It may lead to a disruption in the entire ecosystem of fishing and allied activities,” noted the report.
The report says the loss of catch would make it unprofitable for fisherfolk to venture into the sea as the catch would not cover the running expense of diesel, ice, labour. It points to the high risk in traditional fishing and the seasonality involved with incomes varying across the year.