A petition has been filed in the Bombay High Court seeking compensation for the Koli fishing community, which claims to have suffered significant losses due to the construction and operation of the Mumbai Trans Harbour Link (MTHL), also known as the Atal Bihari Vajpayee Atal Setu.
The 21.8 km bridge, designed to connect Mumbai with Navi Mumbai, has reportedly disrupted the livelihoods of thousands of fishermen who rely on the Thane Creek for their income.
The petitioner, Mari Aai Machimar Sahkari Sanstha Maryadit, represents 1,210 members of the Koli community from seven traditional fishing villages (Koliwadas) in Navi Mumbai. They argue that the construction of the Atal Setu has led to a dramatic decline in fish stocks within the creek.
The affected villages include Vashigaon, Juhugaon, Koparkhairane, Ghansoli, Gothivali, Diva, and Belapur.
The society contends that the community’s traditional fishing activities have been severely impacted.
According to the petition, filed by advocate Zaman Ali, the MTHL project has caused a sharp decline in fish production, with a reported 60% reduction in fish stocks since construction began in 2018.
This significant loss has directly impacted the income and livelihood of the Koli community, a Scheduled Tribe in Maharashtra with a longstanding connection to fishing in Thane Creek. Despite the well-documented effects, the community has been excluded from compensation schemes intended to mitigate the project’s adverse impact.
The petition highlights surveys conducted by the Fisheries Department to assess the MTHL’s impact on local fishing villages.
In February 2021, a third survey focused on ten villages where the petitioners reside.
The survey report indicated a severe decline in fish production, with the 2018-19 fishing season recording only 46% of the production levels seen in 2017-18.
By the 2019-20 season, fish production had dropped by 60% compared to 2017-18 levels, and the number of mechanical fishing boats going out for tours had significantly decreased.
The report concluded with alarming figures, showing a 59.34% reduction in fish production and a 54.25% decline in income for the fishing community during the 2020-21 period compared to 2015-16. These statistics underscore the devastating impact of the MTHL project on the Koli community, which now faces severe economic instability and a threat to its traditional way of life.
The petitioners argue that while some fishermen living within a 5-kilometer radius of the project have been included in compensation policies, those residing 10-15 kilometers away, including the petitioners, have been unjustly excluded.
The petition requests that the Bombay High Court direct the relevant authorities, including the Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA), the Department of Fisheries, and the Revenue & Forest Department, to provide adequate compensation to the affected fisherfolk.
The matter is scheduled to be heard on August 28 by a bench of Justice B.P. Colabawalla and Justice Firdosh Pooniwalla.
The Atal Setu, completed in January 2024, is a six-lane expressway intended to ease traffic between Mumbai and Navi Mumbai.
