Fisherfolk wage war against dirty pipeline

Pudimadaka (Visakhapatnam): Pipeline politics plunged Syria into war and destabilised many nations across Africa during the last several decades. The villagers of Pudimadaka, about 75 km from the city are no less. They began war against the establishment which wants to lay a pipeline into the Bay of Bengal through their village to discharge treated industrial effluents.

The fisherfolk though appearing naive are sure once the pipeline is laid, that is the end of their livelihood. Around 20,000 fishermen harvest in the sea and bringing a cache of 100 to 200 tonnes per voyage during the peak season. They have 2,000 boats of which 1300 are mechanised. All the families live on fishing which they have been doing since ages.

``Brandix marine discharge pipeline laid seven years ago had pushed the marine life deep into sea. Now we have to go as far as 50 km every day to get a good quantity. Earlier the fish was visible at the third tide,’’ said village leader Chepala Tatayulu. If the APIIC pipeline is through, we have to migrate to another city to eke out living, he concluded.

He told this correspondent here on Thursday that the district administration without consulting the villagers had decided to go ahead with the pipeline. When objections were raised, the officials came with an offer of paying Rs 10,000 to each person. The negotiations continued and the final offer was Rs 1.25 lakh for each person. The APIIC made a list of 4,800 eligible persons.

But the villagers wanted more and employment in the industries those would be discharging the toxic material into the sea, Tatayulu said.The resistance continued and the administration clamped section 144 in the village. The villagers stopped the works of pipeline on April 8. The police arrested 19 people including top leaders like Fisherfolk Welfare Association State general secretary Kaviri Appalaraju, Karri Appa Rao, MPTC Vasupalle Srinu and former sarpanch K Venkataramana.

However, the issue reached a flash point on Thursday when the villagers wanted to hold a Grama Sabha and pass resolution against the pipeline project. The police swooped on the village in the early hours and arrested 15 leaders including district president of YSRCP Gudivada Amarnath, CPI (M) district president B Lokanadham and others.

After the leaders were sent, a dandora was sent to the village announcing that the eligible youth would be given employment and interested persons with certificates were asked to approach APIIC office in Achyutapuram.``Due to our resistance, the government came down one step and started offering jobs,’’ Tataylu said.

He said as per the recent survey conducted by the district administration, Pudimadaka has 870 literate persons starting from SSC pass to graduation. Around 800 women have already been employed with Brandix India Apparel city.``If the government offers us package and employment as per GO No 68, we will allow the laying of the pipeline. But the package should not be less than Rs 5 lakh for each person,’’ Tatayulu said.

By KMP Patnaik