EVERYDAY LOCAVORES

“If the water turns fresh, what happens to this cycle? How can it be a sustaining project?”

—Narayanan R., fisherman and activist, Kovalam Kuppam
By Subasree
12 July 2026
Photos by Subasree.

Fifty-nine-year-old Narayanan R. has sailed for fish at the Nemmeli salt marsh in Tamil Nadu since the age of 11. Spread across nearly 8,400 acres, this wetland supports 7,000 fishing families who follow the paadu system—community-based fisheries management rooted in generations of ecological knowledge. “The water was so clear that it looked like glass, almost like a small ocean,” he recalls. 

Today, much of the area has been occupied by industries and developments; construction and chemical waste have led to widespread degradation.  

“We used to fish throughout the year. Now we only get 10% [of the earnings we used to],” he says. Fish like Kelanga and Kola [affordable and commonly eaten by local communities] belong to this environment.” They are now rarely seen.

In January this year, 5,161 acres of the wetland was proposed for a reservoir to supply water to Chennai. Narayanan believes the project could further threaten an already burdened ecosystem.

Much of what sustains this ecosystem, he explains, lies in its brackish nature; the balance between fresh and salt water. Crabs, for instance, sold for INR 3,000 per kilo, only grow here. “[Many species] begin their life here and then move to the sea. If the water turns fresh, what happens to this cycle? How can it be a sustaining project?”

Through his Fishermen Welfare Association, Narayanan has been informing others about the impact. On 9 February, 600 protestors voiced their opposition at the proposed site. “When the project was announced, no information was given to us. We met officials, but there was no response when we spoke about the diversity of this land,” he says. 

Construction work is still ongoing. 

While the state justifies these costs, fisherfolk recognise that the wetland comprises 18 interconnected, ecologically rich habitats. It is a critical breeding ground for prawns, crabs, and several fish, and acts as a natural buffer against floods and storm surges. “We used to call the space paadu, where one fisherman cannot enter the space of another. That is how we make use of our commons,” says Narayanan. 

Narayanan doesn’t fish anymore. Instead, he engages himself with the fisherfolk’s struggle and the village’s wellbeing. 

The site proposed for the upcoming reservoir at the Kovalam-Nemmeli Coastal Wetland Complex, Chennai. The project received clearance from the state coastal zone management authority despite violations of the Coastal Regulation Zone rules.

The state views Chennai’s drinking water shortage as a justification for the project’s social and ecological costs.

Meanwhile, AI-ready and non-AI data centres—that place enormous burdens on the Chennai’s water supply—are fast growing in Siruseri, one of the areas that the reservoir will service after completion.

Such patterns are not new. Fifty years ago, the region had extensive salt pans that supported local livelihoods. Narayanan says the salt pans near Kelambakkam Road were affected after major development in the region.

Fishers could expect maximum catch in the Puratassi season, from mid-September to mid-October. Each family would earn around INR 1-3 lakhs, which sustained them for the rest of their year. Now, earnings are a tenth of what they used to be.

Industrial pollution and the lack of restoration efforts have affected the quantity and quality of catch including Vellera, a prawn species (L) and Aathu nadu, a river crab (R). Additionally, Valayamotera, once common in the area, is no longer found. 

The wetlands are a crucial part of the Central Asian Flyway, one of the world’s major migratory bird routes. Many species that feed on these waters will also be affected by the project. 

Narayanan standing at the edge of the Buckingham Canal. It has been blocked by authorities as the flow of water was disturbing construction work.

Narayanan has been actively involved in protesting and informing others about the impact. He says that development projects should first benefit local communities and the environment rather than serve the interests of the wealthy. Photo by Raju K., a local activist.

For people like Narayanan, the paadu system has long been a way of life outside private ownership. But as these landscapes are increasingly usurped for development projects, it is people, their practices, and the lands they have long sustained that bear the cost.

Subasree is an independent journalist based in Chennai who writes on the environment, policy, human struggles, empowerment, and social justice.