Sun Dec 28 11:51:43 UTC 2025: Okay, here’s a summary and a rewritten news article based on the provided text:

Summary:

Fishing communities in Vellapallam, Pushpavanam, and Vanavan Mahadevi on India’s Coromandel Coast are struggling due to a peculiar geological phenomenon. The shorelines are being covered by a treacherous “silky clay” that makes launching and retrieving boats extremely difficult and costly. This problem is attributed to sediment discharge from the Vennar Basin and littoral drift, which deposits fine clay that lacks structural integrity. Existing infrastructure projects, like breakwaters, are sinking into the clay, and proposed solutions are stalled in bureaucracy. Experts suggest that previous maintenance practices, like bar-mouth dredging, have been abandoned in favor of aquaculture, exacerbating the problem. The situation is impacting the livelihoods of over 1,270 families and jeopardizing the local fishing industry.

News Article:

Silky Clay Threatens Livelihoods of Fishermen on India’s Coromandel Coast

NAGAPATTINAM, December 28, 2025 – A bizarre geological phenomenon is turning the shores of Vellapallam, Pushpavanam, and Vanavan Mahadevi into a nightmare for local fishermen. A thick layer of “silky clay,” lacking structural integrity, is engulfing the coastline, making it nearly impossible to launch and retrieve fishing boats without costly assistance.

For the 1,270 families who rely on the sea for their livelihood, the clay has become a daily burden. Fishermen are forced to pay up to ₹200 each time a tractor pulls their boat in or out of the water, cutting into already thin profit margins.

“We are small fishers, and our fibre boats are our only assets,” said M. Ilayarani, a fisherwoman from Vellapallam. “Now, the shore drains our energy and earnings.”

Experts attribute the problem to sediment discharge from the Vennar Basin and littoral drift, which deposits fine clay along the shallow coastal shelf. “It is a peculiar phenomenon not seen anywhere else on the delta coast,” said a senior official from the Fisheries Engineering Department.

Attempts to build infrastructure to mitigate the problem have largely failed. A ₹132-crore breakwater project at Vellapallam has seen nearly 70% of its massive stones swallowed by the seabed. A revised estimate of ₹100 crore has been submitted, but the project remains stalled in bureaucratic limbo.

Meanwhile, a proposed ₹25-crore fishing harbor in Pushpavanam and a fish landing center in Vanavan Mahadevi are yet to materialize.

Jones T. Spartegus, a coastal activist, criticizes the government’s focus on aquaculture at the expense of traditional sea fishing. He argues that the abandonment of maintenance practices such as bar-mouth dredging, which previously maintained a natural balance, has worsened the situation.

“The government thinks building a harbor is the only solution, but they are ignoring the ecological reality,” Spartegus said.

Fisheries Department officials hope that the revised estimate will be approved, allowing for the construction of a more effective breakwater. However, as the bureaucratic process drags on, the “silky clay” continues to threaten the livelihoods of these coastal communities.

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