More than 500 people, including farmers and members of the public, were arrested after a road blockade opposing a government-backed seaweed park project near Gandharvakottai in Pudukkottai district, Dinamalar reported. The protesters said the project could reduce access to grazing land and create risks for groundwater and agriculture in the area.
The protest took place near the Gandharvakottai bus stand on the Thanjavur–Pudukkottai road. It was led by Ayyakkannu, state president of the South Indian Rivers Linking Farmers Association. The demonstrators sat on the road after objecting to the ongoing construction of a multi-purpose seaweed park at Manganur village, near Gandharvakottai.
According to the report, the park is being developed under the central government’s Prime Minister’s fisheries development scheme. Land classified as grazing poramboke land is being used for the project. Local farmers and residents have argued that diverting the land could affect grazing resources for their cattle.
They have also raised concerns about the possible effect of the project on groundwater levels. The protesters said a decline in the groundwater table could affect farming in the surrounding area. These concerns have already led to several protests by residents and farmers, according to Dinamalar.
Officials held discussions with the protesters at the site during the road blockade. The talks did not result in an agreement, following which police detained Ayyakkannu and more than 500 others. Those arrested were taken to a private marriage hall, the report said.
The dispute places land allocation and local resource access at the centre of the project’s implementation. While the seaweed park is being developed as part of a fisheries-related government programme, residents are contesting the use of land that they say serves an existing livelihood function as grazing space. Their objections also extend to the potential implications for groundwater-dependent agriculture.
The report does not provide details of the project’s sanctioned area, construction cost, completion schedule, environmental assessment, or the authorities responsible for approving the use of the grazing land. It also does not state whether the administration has issued a written response to the residents’ concerns or whether an alternative site has been considered.
The immediate next step reported is continued engagement between officials and the protesting residents. No resolution was reported after the discussions that preceded the arrests.
