Brackishwater aquaculture scientists as well as inland fisher folks on the Adyar estuarine zone would like the state PWD department to clear the sand bar at the mouth of the Adyar river round the year and allow fish and crabs to breed well in the backwaters here.
The focus of the issue is in the zone south and west of Srinivasapuram where the river enters the sea and some part of it flows back towards Pattinapakkam.
Some time ago, when the Adyar Poonga project work started in this zone, the sand bar was cleared regularly and this allowed scientists to set in motion some experiments here.
These are scientists from CIBA ( Central Institute of Brackishwater Aquacultrure) whose campus hugs the backwaters here. They set up a few fish pens to grow a few types of fish and crab and the results, they say were positive.
Local fisherfolks were allowed to grow the breeding and growth here but once the sand bar remained closed, the fish began to die.
One CIBA scientist says even though pollutants remain in this backwater zone, constant flow of seawater allows great breeding and that is why the PWD needs to clear the sand bar periodically.
For now, CIBA has backed off from this project and allows a few fisherfolk to make the best of of the fish pens that lie behind the CIBA campus.
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