Thirvananthapuram: Kunjumon, a native of Puthukurichi, died when a fishing boat capsized off Mudalappozhi estuary, Thiruvananthapuram. Three people are missing in the accident. Fishermen organized a protest today in the Muthalapozhi area, outraged by the government’s alleged failures to ensure the safety of the fishermen at sea. The fisherman claimed that the frequent mishaps were caused by the unscientific construction of groyne fields.
Ministers V Sivankutty, Antony Raju, and G R Anil were prevented from leaving the accident site by the protesters. They questioned the ministers about their ability to guarantee that no fishermen will be killed in the area. It is reported that the fishermen escalated their protest after one of the ministers criticized them.
The road close to Muthalapozhi has been under blockade by the relatives of the missing fishermen and other fishermen. A relative of the missing fishermen noted that the authorities failed to act right away to save the fishermen who went missing on Monday morning at around 4 am.
The government had earlier promised to install sign boards to mark the locations where the water is not deeper and removing extra sand and pebbles that had been deposited nearby. However, nothing of these assurances was fulfilled, nor was any steps taken to begin the quick rescue of the people trapped in the sea. Although the fishermen requested that the government give them a rescue boat so they could start rescue efforts on their own, nothing has been done as of yet.
The district administration, according to minister V Sivankutty, has made every effort to find the fishermen who went missing after their boat capsized off the coast early on Monday. For the search activities, the Coast Guard, municipal law enforcement, and marine enforcement were all mobilized. According to the minister, scuba divers were also brought for the search at the fishermen’s request.
The need to dredge sand from the Muthalapozhi estuary has been brought to the authority’s attention by the local fishermen. Despite the presence of a dredging equipment, the workers on duty are not performing their duties efficiently. The locals drew attention to the fact that the area is threatened by large waves that threaten fisherman due to the area’s declining sea depth. The estuary should be dug deeper and high waves should be blocked, thus dredging must be done carefully. In spite of regular incidents occurring here, it is said that the authority never pays attention to these claims.
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