Fishermen

Rameswaram cyclone destroys Dhanushkodi

Pamban Island was hit by a super cyclonic storm whose surge drowned the town of Dhanushkodi and killed many people.

Point Calimere Wildlife Sanctuary created

To shelter blackbuck and vast flocks of waterbirds, a sanctuary was established at Point Calimere on the Palk Strait.

India recognises Sri Lankan sovereignty over Katchatheevu

Under the Indo-Sri Lankan Maritime Agreement, India accepted Katchatheevu island in the Palk Strait as Sri Lankan territory.

India and Sri Lanka sign the 1976 maritime agreement

A further agreement on the maritime boundary restricted fishermen of each country from fishing in the other's exclusive economic zone.

November 1977 cyclone strikes Nagapattinam and the Cauvery delta

A very severe cyclonic storm made landfall at Nagapattinam, killing about 560 people and affecting around 10 lakh people in Tamil Nadu.

Tamil Nadu part of Pulicat Lake declared a bird sanctuary

The Tamil Nadu portion of the Pulicat lagoon in Tiruvallur district was declared a bird sanctuary in October 1980.

Mandaikadu Hindu-Christian clashes

Tensions between Hindus and Christians in Kanyakumari district escalated during the Mandaikadu temple festival, leading to police firing and deaths.

Gulf of Mannar Marine National Park declared

Twenty-one islets lying offshore between Thoothukudi and Dhanushkodi were designated the Gulf of Mannar Marine National Park.

Road bridge to Rameswaram opened

A road bridge parallel to the Pamban railway bridge opened, giving Rameswaram island its first road link to the mainland.

Gulf of Mannar Biosphere Reserve created

The Gulf of Mannar Marine National Park and a 10 km buffer zone along the Ramanathapuram and Thoothukudi coast were declared a biosphere reserve.

2004 Indian Ocean tsunami strikes the Tamil Nadu coast

The tsunami after the Sumatra earthquake killed about 8,000 people in Tamil Nadu, with Nagapattinam the worst-hit district.

Sethusamudram Shipping Canal Project inaugurated

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh launched work on a shipping canal between India and Sri Lanka, a project later stalled by the Ram Setu dispute.

India protests Sri Lankan Navy attacks on Tamil Nadu fishermen

India formally protested to Sri Lanka over alleged Sri Lankan Navy attacks on Indian fishermen in the Palk Strait.

Protests against the Kudankulam nuclear plant

Fishing villages around Idinthakarai led a sustained movement against the Kudankulam nuclear plant, which nonetheless began operating in 2013 and 2014.

Kudankulam reactor 1 connected to the grid

Following years of delay and protest, the first VVER-1000 reactor at Kudankulam was synchronised with the power grid.

Ennore oil spill after tanker collision

Two tankers collided off Kamarajar Port in Ennore, and the resulting oil spill spread along the north Chennai coast.

Cyclone Ockhi strikes Kanyakumari

Cyclone Ockhi caused heavy damage in Kanyakumari district and many fishermen out at sea were lost.

Cyclone Gaja devastates the Cauvery delta

Cyclone Gaja crossed the coast near Vedaranyam, killing dozens and destroying coconut groves, homes and boats in the delta districts.

Ennore ammonia gas leak

Ammonia leaked from a subsea pipeline of a fertiliser plant at Ennore, sending dozens of residents of fishing villages to hospital.