Residents of 16 fishing villages along the East Coast Road from Kanathur to Kokkilimedu gathered on Monday at Vada Nemeli backwaters to protest the Mamallan reservoir project. They entered the slushy water and shouted slogans urging the State government to stop the project. Community leader R. Narayanan of Kovalam said the fishing community, including inland fishers and Irulas, were not given a chance to voice concerns. He warned that thousands of families will lose their jobs if the reservoir is built. A day after a peace meeting, the Chief Minister laid the foundation stone for the project, escalating tensions. K. Saravanan from Urur Kuppam noted no public hearing was held because the area is marked CRZ 1B. He explained the Buckingham Canal runs through the backwaters, which flood during monsoon making it hard to tell the canal apart from the backwaters. K. Bharathi, another leader, stated, “Villages along the backwaters will also get flooded if the brackish water body is converted into a freshwater body. The entire ecosystem would be lost if the reservoir comes up. Sea-faring fishermen fish here during the monsoon as there are not many fishes in the sea due to the desalination plants and sea erosion.” Fisherman Shankar from Padur added that past projects like the Muttukadu Boat House, CMFRI station, and desalination plants already cut down fishing areas. He fears that with this reservoir, they might lose all fishing grounds and have to find other jobs. Marine biologist T. D. Babu said the backwater is a rich lagoon similar to Pulicat with many molluscs and crustaceans. It links to the Bay of Bengal through estuaries at Muttukadu and Kokilamedu. The Buckingham Canal helps prevent flooding by channeling excess water out to sea. He warned, "If the reservoir comes up, this ecologically sensitive lagoon will be destroyed resulting in the death of marine life and the mangroves." Disconnecting the lagoon from the sea could cause beach erosion and habitat loss. The protests highlight growing fears over the environmental and social impact of the Mamallan reservoir. The government, however, moved ahead with the project.