Chennai, 10 September (H.S.) :Communist Party of India State secretary M. Veerapandian on Thursday urged the Tamil Nadu government to abandon its proposal to build a new Secretariat and Assembly complex at Pattinapakkam, warning that the project could displace fishing families and damage Chennai’s fragile coastline.

Veerapandian said nine fishing settlements, including Srinivasapuram, Rajiv Gandhi Nagar, Bhavani Kuppam, Selvarajapuram, Duming Kuppam, Notchi Nagar and Notchi Kuppam, were situated around the proposed site at Foreshore Estate. Nearly 1,500 families could be forced to relocate if the project went ahead, he said.

The CPI extends outside support to the State government.

According to Veerapandian, the shore is central to the daily life and economy of the local fishing community. Fisherfolk use the area to launch and move boats, unload their catch, dry fish and nets, and store equipment. The coastline is already under severe pressure because of limited space, he added.

He said a large administrative complex would require extensive roads, parking facilities and security infrastructure, further restricting access to the beach. Regular movement of VIP convoys and deployment of police personnel could eventually transform the locality into a tightly controlled zone, affecting both habitation and traditional fishing activities.

Veerapandian also questioned the safety of locating vital government institutions close to the sea at a time when Chennai is increasingly exposed to extreme weather. Storms, floods, high tides and rising sea levels posed serious risks to the coastline, and the government should identify a safer alternative site, he said.

Raising environmental concerns, the CPI leader noted that the proposed location formed part of an Olive Ridley turtle nesting zone. Describing the project as a “green complex” would not by itself protect the marine ecosystem, he said, calling for the proposal to be withdrawn immediately after a thorough review of social and ecological consequences involved.

---------------

Hindusthan Samachar / Arun Lakshman