In a development, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has commenced the disbursement of compensation to fishermans who were affected by the construction of the Mumbai Coastal Road Project (south). A total of ₹15.4 crore has been distributed to 170 fishermen from the Worli-Koliwada and Lotus jetty area.
Nitesh Patil, President of the Worli Koliwada Nakhava Matsya Vyavsay Sahakari Society (WKNMSS), expressed his satisfaction with the compensation process, stating that fisherfolks have been paid with an 8% interest. He further added that the disbursement has begun and will continue until the completion of the construction work. The boat staff members are also expected to receive their compensation in the coming days, as per the HT report. Related NewsBMC Spent Crores on Animal Enclosures, But No Animals to be Seen: RTI
The decision to provide compensation was based on the findings of a study conducted by the Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS), which assessed the impact of the coastal road project on the affected fishermen of Worli and Haji Ali. The TISS report, submitted to the BMC in February, identified 1,343 affected fishermen from Worli and Lotus jetty.
The compensation strategy took into account the adverse effects of drilling, piling, noise, and vibrations caused by the construction activities, which resulted in a significant decline in fish breeding in the area. As a result, the BMC decided to compensate the affected fishermen for the period from October 2018 to October 2022, with further compensation to be provided until the completion of the coastal road work.
Following the submission of the TISS report, the BMC received 521 proposals from the fisheries department, out of which 185 were shortlisted in the first phase, and 336 were shortlisted in the second phase. According to the TISS report, boat owners have been compensated with amounts ranging from ₹1.5 lakh to ₹4.5 lakh per year.