Sharavati river and the life of fishermen

 

Photo: Raju D. Tandel

I am very connected to the Sharavati River because during the rainy season, boat do not go to sea for three months, during that time small boats go in the Sharavati waters. The Sharavati River gives us fish during the rainy season. Like my mother, the Sharavati River, I don't want to lose it. The Sharavati River is our lifeline.

Sharavati is the lifeline of Honnavar. It originates at Ambuthirtha in the Western Ghats, creates the world-famous Jog Falls, and flows 128 km to meet the Arabian Sea at Honnavar in Uttara Kannada.

Where the river meets the sea, a very fertile estuary is formed. This estuary is everything for the local fishermen. For hundreds of years, around 6000 fishermen families from Tonka, Kasarkod, Mallukurva and Honnavar have depended on it for fishing, clam collection and women-led dry-fish business.

The health of the river is directly linked to the life of fishermen. When Linganamakki and Gerusoppa dams were built, the freshwater flow changed. The river mouth shifted 3.5 km to the north. Due to change in salinity, clams, mussels and special estuary fish decreased.

Now the big discussion is about HPPL - Honnavar Private Port Limited. The company has proposed to build a private commercial port right on the sand-spit where the river meets the sea.

Concerns of fishermen:

- Space for fishing: Fishermen have expressed concern that the breakwater built for the port may affect boat movement and fish breeding grounds.

- Coastal erosion: Experts say that if the natural movement of sand is obstructed, there is a possibility of increased erosion in Tonka and Kasarkod villages.

- Environmental sensitivity: This Tonka beach had several Olive Ridley turtle nestings and dense mangrove forests. In Honnavar, the dense mangroves are not exactly on the open beach - they are inside the Sharavati estuary behind the sand-split. It is important to maintain ecological balance.

What fishermen say is - "Along with development, our livelihood and environment should also be protected."

Currently discussions and legal processes are going on regarding this project, and everyone is focused on saving the Sharavati river and the sea.

Apeksha R. Tandel