Minister and Opposition fight over the death of fishermen in the deep seas

Monsoon
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Kerala's COVID death figures has consistently been questioned by the Opposition.

On Thursday, Kerala Assembly witnessed yet another intense dispute over deaths. This time about the deaths of fisherfolks operating from the Muthalapozhi harbour in the north of Thiruvananthapuram district.
Kovalam MLA M Vincent, while moving an adjournment motion on the dangers faced by seafarers operating from the Muthalapozhi harbour, said that 60 people had died in the coastal village since 2016. He said 10 had died in 2021 alone. Further, he said that over 500 fishermen were wounded during this period.
Fisheries minister Saji Cherian contested the death numbers put out by the Kovalam MLA. "It is fine to raise such issues but it is unseemly to give such exaggerated numbers, " the minister said. According to him, only 16 people had died in Muthalapozhi, not in the last five years but in the last 10 years. "People might have died in areas east and west of Muthalapozhi, like in Anchuthengu. But I once again stress that only 16 had died in Muthalapozhi since 2011," the minister said.
When it was his turn, Leader of the Opposition V D Satheesan said it was unfortunate that the minister had given a gross underestimate. He waved a document at the minister saying that the information given by the Fisheries Department shows that 18 had died in 2018 alone. "Do you mean to say that there were no deaths in the years preceding 2018 and after, " Satheesan said. "I have been to the village and it was with shock that I realised that there was at least one person in a family who had met with an accident (while fishing)," Satheesan said.
The fisheries minister intervened, holding up another document. "This is the list the police had furnished and it has only 16 names," the minister said. He then read out the names.
Satheesan said the minister would do well to depend on the figures given by his own department. "I can also read out the names from the list provided by your department (fisheries) and I am sure none of the names will be in the list in your hand, " Satheesan said. Like the minister, the Opposition Leader also read out the names of the dead. None of the names were in the minister's list.
The area around Muthalapozhi harbour has turned into a death trap following the accumulation of sand, rendering the sea shallow and creating dangerous vortexes powerful enough to hurl fishing boats. The dredging has to be carried out by Adani ports.
The minister said Adani Ports would begin dredging from September 15.

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