So now the fishermen of southern India are learning a whole new skill: mapping their ancient land by app — plot by precious plot — to stop industry from swallowing life on the lagoon. He pointed out the holes left by the government’s latest coastal maps, blank spaces he said are villages brimming with life. With a new government zoning map three months off, Raji fears his industry and whole way of life will become the next black hole of Lake Pulicat. Around the creek, wooden boats and loinclothed fishermen wade through sludgy waters surrounded by foundries, thermal power plants and ship yards. Watching the sun set over Pulicat lake, fisherman Dayalan D is a convert to new technology to preserve his old way of life.
