Traditional fishermen at work. Telegraph picture

Paradip, May 24: Armed with high court intervention, the Jagatsinghpur district administration has taken up the plight of traditional inland fishermen who are being adversely affected by a road connectivity bridge project of the by Indian Oil Corporation Limited.

The affected fishermen had earlier knocked on Orissa High Court’s doors and drew its attention to the detrimental effects of the bridge on the livelihood of thousands of fishermen living in and around Paradip in Jagatsinghpur district.

The proposed bridge over the Patakana rivulet, a tributary of River Mahanadi, would plug the free flow of water and thereby reduce the fish catch, said the fishermen.

“As the bridge is an important component of oil refinery project that is being undertaken by IOCL, it should not be stopped because of the fact that refinery project holds country’s economic interest. However, the high court observed that the company should address to the likely loss of livelihood stakes of affected fishermen,” said Vasudev Pradhan, tesildar of Kujang.

“We took up the issue yesterday with the Jagatsinghpur district collector, IOCL personnel and representatives of fishermen communities. The fishermen communities pressed forth the demand for an ex-gratia from the company to compensate the likely loss in fish catch. The meeting, however, remained inconclusive. A similar meeting would be held on May 25 to settle the issue,” said Bibhu Prasad Tarai, Lok Sabha member, Jagatsinghpur.

“As desired by Orissa High court, the administration would send a report in consultation with fishermen representatives and IOCL officials,” said Jagatsinghpur collector Narayan Chandra Jena.

“Though construction work of the said bridge at Abhayachandrapur is yet to begin, the IOCL has initiated a tender bidding process for it. The Patakana rivulet, on which thousands of traditional fishermen are dependent, is already chocked with several artificial barriers. As many as six bridges have already come up over it. Thus, one more bridge at the strategic Abhayachandrapur would spell the death knell for poor fishermen,” said Pitambar Tarai, one of the petitioners who had moved the high court.

An estimated 5,000 fishermen families from Gopiakuda, Kaliapata, Taladanda, Duadia, Kabalpur, Hansina, Bariha Gandakipur, Fatehpur, Bishali, Paradipgada and Mangarajpur would be in peril because of the bridge project. It would impede the uniform water flow, consequently leading to reduction in fish catch. Besides, the fishermen communities have legal rights for fishing in the water body as the tehsildar has leased it out for fishing to against an annual premium payment.

On the other hand, the state water resources department, by describing the rivulet as a creek, approved the IOCL’s bridge construction project. Now, as desired by the court, the bridge construction would take place. But the IOCL should compensate the loss of fish catch due to the project,” Tarai maintained.