A stretch along the Nagore fishing harbour leading to the Nagapattinam–Karaikal National Highway remains without streetlights.
| Photo Credit: Special Arrangement
Fishermen in Nagore have been affected by the absence of streetlights in their locality, while areas surrounding their homes have turned into waste dump sites, posing serious health hazards and severely disrupting their everyday lives.
The issues plague Pattinachery and Samba Thottam, two fishermen habitations within the limits of the Nagapattinam Municipality. Pattinachery alone is home to nearly 800 families, many of whom depend entirely on fishing for their livelihood.
Residents said the settlement is bordered on one side by a dump yard due to poor waste collection and then stagnant rainwater. A public toilet complex constructed about 10 years ago remains in utter disuse owing to poor maintenance and has now become a breeding ground for mosquitoes and insects.
“The toilet is unusable and the stagnant water around it has turned the area into a health hazard,” said G. Laxmi, a fisherwoman from Pattinachery. Locals have demanded that the structure either be fully repaired and maintained or removed altogether.
Women residents pointed out that water stagnation worsens during the monsoon. “Rainwater does not drain out and remains stagnant for days. Mosquito breeding has increased, and stray dogs are another concern,” said S. Vembu, another resident.
Fishermen from Pattinachery and the tsunami rehabilitation quarters at Samba Thottam park their boats along the river channel near the Nagore bridge on the Nagore–Karaikal road. However, residents said a nearly 750-metre stretch from the bridge lacks even a single functioning streetlight.
“We leave for fishing before dawn and return late at night. The entire stretch is dark, making movement unsafe,” said Ranjitha V., a fisherwoman from Samba Thottam.
Residents also complained of irregular waste collection, alleging that garbage is cleared only once in about 15 days as the area lies at the far end of the Nagore ward, and that waste is often removed only at a superficial level.
Despite being located within municipal limits, the absence of basic civic amenities such as sanitation, regular waste collection, and street lighting continues to affect the health and livelihoods of the fishing community.
When contacted, a senior official of the Nagapattinam Municipality said the matter would be looked into.
Published – February 03, 2026 09:38 pm IST
