Should a fishing hamlet be lost to an elevated Beach Expressway? No!, say the fisherfolk of Olcott and OdaiKuppam who claim their rights over coastal commons using community self-mapping. Rapid urbanisation in various forms is set to transform the coastline of Tamil Nadu as real estate, infrastructure, tourism, and urban beautification plans are in full swing. Fisherfolk, whose everyday life and survival is rooted in the commons, are at the centre of these processes of coastal urbanisation. They face a threat not only to their livelihoods, but also to their living spaces, their common culture and their way of life.

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