MUMBAI: Over 500 fisherfolk from South Mumbai 's Chattrapati Shivaji Maharaj Mandai located around the Mahatma Jyotiba Phule Market (Crawford Market) staged a protest on Sunday morning against the BMC 's decision to move them to Airoli Naka in Navi Mumbai.

They have said that on August 1, they would be coming out on roads outside the fish market with 'koitas' in their hands if the BMC continues to pressure them to shift from the market.

The BMC served them a notice earlier this month to vacate the market in a month's time as the building where they are currently housed has been declared dilapidated. On Sunday, during a protest gathering of fisherfolk, decided to not move out under any circumstances as they said that it would only hamper their business

Damodar Tandel, president of Akhil Maharashtra Machhimar Kruti Samiti, said, "All koli women from over 100 fish markets of Mumbai and around purchase fish from here and every day there is almost Rs 2 crore worth fish sold while Rs 3 crore worth fish is exported. Several families are dependent on the fisher folk who work here. We have decided that we would go on a fast unto death on August 1 if the BMC continues to force us to move out. Our koli folk are now left with no option but to come out on streets with koitas in their hands if the police or any other authorities try to stop us for protesting against it."

The BMC plans to demolish the existing structure and construct a 14 storey high-rise building with parking lot as well. It is likely to take three years to reconstruct the structure. Civic officials said that as a lot of fish being sold in the market also comes via the Navi Mumbai route towards Mumbai city and therefore creating a space for the vendors near at the entry towards the city itself would be good move.

