A tight contest amid shifting equations in coastal areas

Sewage water overflows on Periya Kadai Street in Nagapattinam town.
| Photo Credit:
Special Arrangement

Nagapattinam, an ancient port town with a layered history of cultural confluence — from the Nagore dargah to Dutch remnants and traces of early Buddhist viharas — faces a paradox. Despite its legacy and strategic coastal location, underdevelopment, fragile livelihoods, and mounting migration driven by a lack of opportunities have become its hallmark.

R.M.P. Rajendra Nattar, president of the Indian National Fishermen Union, said the concerns of the sizeable fishing community remain largely unaddressed in electoral politics. He pointed to a range of intersecting crises — natural calamities, persistent coastal erosion, conflicts between mechanised trawlers and small-scale fishers, and recurring tensions with Sri Lanka leading to arrests and boat seizures. “There has been a decline in fish catch in recent months,” he said.

Basic amenities too remain a concern. “In several fishing hamlets, drinking water is supplied only once in two weeks. The Nagapattinam fishing harbour has not seen meaningful upgrades since the tsunami, and lacks essential facilities,” he added.

Echoing civic concerns, CPI(M) town secretary K. Vengatesan said irregular drinking water supply continues to affect several municipal wards. “In many parts of the town, sewage canals are dysfunctional,” he said. Highlighting gaps in education and tourism infrastructure, he said: “There is no government boys’ higher secondary school in the town area; only aided schools function here, which limits access to several government schemes. Despite international footfall to Velankanni and Nagore, there is no proper tourism infrastructure. Even the Tamil Nadu Tourism guest house has remained defunct for years.”

On the industrial front, Mr. Vengatesan said the SIDCO estate remains underdeveloped, with no major investments. “Nagapattinam was once a thriving port that attracted people from districts such as Madurai and Ramanathapuram in search of livelihood. That economic vibrancy is no longer visible,” he said.

He flagged poor waste management practices, including frequent burning of garbage, and the deteriorating condition of tsunami rehabilitation quarters. The relocation of the government headquarters hospital from the town to Orathur village has added to public hardship. he said.

G. Manoharan, president of the Nagapattinam Chamber of Commerce, underscored the stagnation in industrial growth. “A steel rolling mill that functioned earlier has closed, and no major industries have come up since then,” he said.

With fishing as the backbone of the local economy, he stressed the need for a fish storage and processing unit. “At present, fish are transported to Kerala for export, resulting in a ₹20 per kg loss for local traders. If we export directly, it will significantly improve incomes,” he said. He also called for the introduction of small cargo ships at the port alongside the existing passenger ferry to Sri Lanka.

On the agricultural front, S.R. Tamil Selvan, deputy secretary of the policy wing of the Tamil Nadu Farmers Protection Association, said tail-end farmers continue to grapple with poor flow in the Cauvery. He flagged seawater intrusion into agricultural lands and irrigation canals, and inadequate desilting works across the district. He pointed to weak procurement mechanisms and frequent crop losses due to unseasonal rains and the northeast monsoon.

Politically, the constituency presents a closely poised contest. Though the DMK-led alliance retained Nagapattinam through its ally VCK in 2021, the margin — less than 8,000 votes — reflected the enduring strength of the AIADMK.

This time, the AIADMK-led NDA has begun groundwork early, banking on fishermen community as a key support base. However, the emergence of Tamilaga Vetri Kazhagam (TVK), with district-level leadership drawn from the same community, could fragment this vote bank. Internal frictions within sections of the AIADMK may influence consolidation efforts.

Within the DMK, there is increasing pressure from cadres to contest the seat directly under its “Rising Sun” symbol, after multiple election cycles of ceding it to allies. Any decision to continue the arrangement could affect grassroots morale, party sources said.

At the same time, the DMK-led front is expected to rely on consolidated minority votes from areas such as Nagore, Thittacherry, and Enangudi, which have traditionally supported it.

Published – March 22, 2026 09:34 pm IST