TISS to Survey Fishermen Affected by Versova-Bandra Sea Link
The Maharashtra fisheries department has decided to conduct a comprehensive socio-economic survey of fishermen's families affected by infrastructure projects, including the Versova-Bandra Sea Link in Bandra. The department is planning to assign the responsibility for this study to the Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS) to determine future compensation frameworks.
The decision comes amid increasing opposition from local fishing communities against multiple infrastructure developments across the Mumbai Metropolitan Region (MMR) and the coastal stretches of Konkan. The data collected by TISS will serve as the official benchmark to finalize relief and compensation packages for families whose livelihoods are impacted by these projects.
On Monday, Fisheries Minister Nitesh Rane chaired a review meeting specifically addressing the compensation demands raised by fishermen affected by the Versova-Bandra Sea Link project. During the meeting, officials informed the minister about widespread dissatisfaction among the fishing community regarding the current compensation amounts. Representatives pointed out that the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has been offering higher compensation payouts to individuals affected by the Mumbai Coastal Road project.
Following these discussions, the government approved the plan to commission an independent assessment before revising payout structures. Minister Rane stated that the government would examine the possibility of increasing the compensation, noting that an empirical report on the socio-economic conditions of the affected families is required first. He added that TISS should conduct the survey, after which final compensation decisions will be taken based on the findings.
Alongside the project-specific relief, the fisheries department has put forward additional welfare measures for the community. These include a proposal for a loan waiver for fishermen modeled on agricultural farm loan waivers, as well as a steep hike in financial aid provided during the annual monsoon fishing ban. Under this proposal, compensation for the non-fishing period running from June 1 to July 31 would increase from the current ₹4,500 to ₹20,000 per family.
According to the formal proposal submitted to the state government by the fisheries commissioner, an estimated 8,829 fishermen's families are slated to be covered under the compensation scheme, which will require an estimated financial outlay of ₹17.65 crore.
