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THOOTHUKUDI: The debate over industrial development versus livelihood protection and environmental safety has intensified in Tamil Nadu’s coastal district of Thoothukudi ahead of the upcoming Assembly elections, with the lingering Sterlite Copper Plant controversy continuing to cast a long shadow. Home to the V.O. Chidambaranar Port, the district has seen steady industrial and trade growth over the years, driven largely by port-led infrastructure and logistics activities. However, fishing communities, which form a significant part of the local population, have expressed serious concerns that unchecked expansion is threatening their traditional livelihoods and the marine ecosystem. “Development linked to the port should not come at the cost of destroying traditional fishing. Industrial growth must happen while protecting fishermen’s livelihoods,” R. Russell, Secretary of the Water Transport Workers’ Federation of India, told PTI Videos. According to local estimates, over two lakh fishing families in and around Thoothukudi depend on fishing and allied activities. Fishermen allege that dredging operations, coastal construction, and industrial discharge have adversely affected marine ecosystems, leading to a marked decline in fish catch.

A 62-year-old man sexually harassed a 24-year-old woman travelling in a Madurai-Nagercoil government bus near Gayatharu in Thoothukudi district. The victim immediately lodged a complaint with the driver and conductor, after which the police identified and arrested the culprit. The incident has raised concerns about the safety of women on bus journeys.

A petition was submitted to the District Collector’s office demanding the immediate cancellation of the case registered against 8 villagers who repaired the Kanmayi in Mela Iral village, Ettayapuram taluk.During heavy rains in the village of Mela Iral three years ago, a nearby drinking water well was damaged due to a sudden burst of water. Despite several complaints to the government authorities, no action was taken. When the consecration of four temples was held in this village on June 24th, considering that the devotees should not face any inconvenience due to the broken cistern and well in front of the temple, we, the villagers, decided to get together and carry out the repair work. For this, we brought in a tractor loaded with gravel soil from the well dug by Kesava Perumalsamy and Sankaranarayanan, both natives of the area, and remediated it. In this situation, the police of Ettayapuram police station confiscated the tractor, claiming that it had excavated gravel without permission. The villagers protested against this.However, the police have registered a case against 8 people. Therefore, it was stated that the district administration should intervene in the matter and immediately cancel the cases registered against the villagers.

Always a winner: Karuppasamy, 21, was hacked to death with a machete by his father Marimuthu, 50, after he had an argument while under the influence of alcohol. Marimuthu, a resident of Athanur in Tuticorin district, is an auto driver. His son, Karuppasamy, is a bike mechanic. Marimuthu has set up a workshop for him near his house. The night before yesterday, Karuppasamy, who came home drunk, had an argument with Marimuthu. In this, Marimuthu, who got angry, slashed Karuppasamy with a machete, killing him on the spot. The police, who always won, recovered Karuppasamy’s body, sent it to the Tuticorin Government Hospital, and arrested Marimuthu.

Thoothukudi: Thoothukudi police arrested three men on Sunday morning for sharing a video clip of a country-made bomb detonating in a public place on social media.The arrested were Alex, 22, of Levinjipuram, Prakash, 23, of Amudhanagar, and Guru, 21, of Sudalai Colony.Police said the trio allegedly manufactured the explosive, detonated it in a public area and filmed the blast. The clip was then shared through WhatsApp status updates, Instagram and other social media platforms. Investigators said the footage was circulated to intimidate their rivals.After receiving information about the clip, Thoothukudi south police traced and arrested the three men, based on a direction from SP R Shiva Prasad.Police are questioning them to determine where they obtained the materials used to make the explosive and whether they were involved in other offences.