The community demands to be compensated as barricading of the expected route obstructs their daily fishing
A day after the Bombay High Court allowed sporting events company Procam International Limited — the organisers of international powerboat race P1-Powerboat, Indian Grand Prix of the Seas — to build a temporary jetty at Girgaum Chowpatty, the city's fishermen community have raised their hackles.
They have demanded compensation from the organisers for restricting the movement of their fishing boats. The fishermen community will protest if they are not given due compensation, they said on Thursday. Fishermen from the Akhil Maharashtra Macchimar Kruti Samiti (AMMKS) have opposed the setting up of barriers along the route of their fishing boats. The trials for the race will begin on Friday, and the event will conclude on Sunday. A track of 5.2 kilometres has been planned off the Queen's Necklace for the race, and the route extends from Girgaum Chowpatty to Cuffe Parade. The BMC had earlier refused permissions to the organisers.
The fishermen community has alleged that the route for the race obstructs them from going by their daily fishing activities and laying fishing nets. "This is the livelihood for hundreds of fishermen and now the boats are not being allowed to take their usual route due to the barricading done by the company," said Damodar Tandel, President, AMMKS.
The fishermen community has issued a list of their boats and demanded Rs 15,000 per boat from the organisers for a single day. "The competition will affect us for a period of seven days. We have written to the fisheries department and the event organisers to compensate us, else they will have to stop the event. We will approach the Bombay High Court with a writ petition if the company fails to compensate us," said Tandel.
A senior representative from Procam International Pvt Ltd, who has been coordinating with the fishermen community, said, "We will speak to our senior officials in the company and make sure that the issue is resolved and the event is conducted peacefully."
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