GPS-based Demarcation Proposed to Resolve Pulicat Lake Fishing Dispute

Why in News?

Representatives of 25 fishing hamlets dependent on Pulicat Lake have urged the Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu governments to replace traditional boundary markers with a permanent GPS-based system for identifying their respective fishing zones.

Background of the Dispute

• Pulicat Lake is a brackish-water lake spread across Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu. Fishing communities from both States depend on it for their livelihoods.
• Disputes have occurred over the location of the inter-State fishing boundary and the entry of fishing vessels into waters claimed by the neighbouring State.
• A joint meeting was held at the Gummidipoondi Panchayat Union Office near Chennai to discuss a long-term solution.
• The meeting included fishermen from 25 hamlets, legislators representing Ponneri and Sulurpetta, Tiruvallur District Collector S. Kavitha and Tirupati Additional Collector R. Govinda Rao.

Problems with Traditional Boundary Markers

• Palmyrah tree trunks have traditionally been placed in the lake to mark the boundary between the fishing zones of the two States.
• These trunks rot because they remain in saltwater. Replacing them can also create disagreements over the exact location of the boundary.
• Fixed physical markers are considered unsuitable because of the lake’s shifting waters, siltation and changing water levels.
• The fishing communities have therefore unanimously supported replacing physical markers with a technology-based system.

Proposed GPS-based System

• Motorised and traditional fishing boats operating in Pulicat Lake would be fitted with automated GPS transponders.
• Agencies such as the National Centre for Coastal Research (NCCR) would establish the exact digital coordinates of the fishing boundary.
• The system would attach accountability to individual fishing vessels instead of depending on temporary markers placed in the water.

Functioning of the System

• Each boat’s location would be continuously identified through its GPS transponder.
• A boat approaching or crossing the designated boundary would receive a real-time alert.
• The system would simultaneously notify Marine Police control rooms in Tiruvallur and Tirupati.
• Digital coordinates would provide both States with a common and consistent boundary reference.

Environmental and Livelihood Factors

Siltation and Low Water Levels

• Severe siltation and low summer water levels regularly choke the lake’s inlets.
• These conditions restrict the movement of marine species between the sea and the lake.
• Declining aquatic resources force fishermen from both States to compete within crowded and shallow fishing areas.

Pressure on Fish Stocks

• The fishing dispute is not caused by boundary uncertainty alone. It is also connected with the decline in fish and other aquatic resources.
• Unless the lake’s ecological condition improves, clearer boundaries may reduce accidental crossings but may not fully eliminate livelihood competition.

Rayadoruvu Sea Mouth Project

• Following representations by Tirupati MP Maddila Gurumoorthy, the Union Fisheries Ministry is implementing a ₹133.11-crore project to open and stabilise the Rayadoruvu sea mouth.
• Opening the sea mouth is expected to improve the movement of seawater and marine species into the lake.
• The project is also expected to help replenish fish stocks and reduce conflict arising from competition over shrinking fishing resources.

Conclusion

GPS-based demarcation can provide a clear and verifiable boundary for Pulicat Lake’s fishing communities. However, lasting peace will also require resolution of pending cases, restoration of aquatic resources and sustained cooperation between Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu.