The Poverty in the Midst of Plenty: The Case of Fisher People

The urban poverty being widely discussed among the discourse on urbanization and poverty, the present paper attempt to shed light on the pockets of poverty in the urban area with specific reference to coastal belt and among fisher people. The fisher people living along the coastal belt are subject to all urban poverty problems notably of housing, water and sanitation, health and education. Their living environment is of poor quality and social security measures unsatisfactory.  This is in spite of facts that they live in permanent settlement regions i.e. the coast and are skilled labourers in marine fishery defying the general conviction that urban poverty has direct linkages to migration and unskilled labour.  The paper is based on the data from the census of households in the coastal wards of Thiruvananthapuram Corporation, urban local body in Kerala.  The fisher people dwell in the coastal belt are generally backward in terms of basic amenities and socio-economic conditions.  The coastal belt of urban area is also not an exception.  This paper highlights backwardness of fisher people in the survey area in education, health, basic living amenities like water, electric power, and clean living environment.  Does the Corporation need to usher in more inclusive programmes, efficient management, and delivery mechanisms?  Do Policy makers and implementing personnel be sensitized for fair and judicious practices? These are some of the pertinent questions addressed in this paper.