.jpg.transform/576x300/image.jpg)
Thiruvananthapuram: Angered by the alleged lapses on the part of the government in ensuring the safety of the fishermen at sea, community members staged a protest near the Muthalapozhi estuary on Monday.
The protest erupted after one fisherman was killed and three others went missing after a boat capsized off the estuary. The fishers alleged unscientific construction of groyne fields are causing repeated accidents.
The protesters blocked ministers V Sivankutty, Antony Raju and G R Anil who visited the accident spot. They asked the ministers whether the government can promise that fisher will be killed in the area.
Manorama News reported the fishers intensified their protest after one of the ministers criticised them.
“Minister Antony Raju asked us don't make a scene there,” alleged one of the protesters.
The family members of the missing fishermen alongside other community members have been laying a siege on the road at Muthalapozhi.
A relative of the missing fisherman pointed out that the government didn't take any immediate action for rescuing the fishermen who went missing around 4 am on Monday.
Earlier, the government had promised to take efforts to install signboards to identify spots that are not deeper and give directions to the Adani group for removing excess sand and rocks dumped in the area.
But neither any of these promises were kept nor any measures were taken to initiate immediate rescue of the people trapped in the sea.
Though the fishers demanded the government provide a rescue boat to initiate rescue efforts by themselves, no action was taken yet.
Meanwhile, minister Sivankutty in a press release alleged that Fr Eugene Pereira instigated the fishers to block the ministers's path. "Violence was averted as people refused to follow his commands," he added.
The minister claimed that the district authority has made all arrangements to rescue the fishermen who went missing after a boat capsized off the coast in the wee hours of Monday.
Coast Guard, local police and marine enforcement were deployed for the search operations. Scuba divers were also roped in for the search as requested by the fishermen, the minister said.
The fisherfolk have sought the authority's attention on the need to dredge sand from the Muthalapozhi estuary. Though a dredging machine has also been arranged, the employees on duty are not carrying out their work properly. The community members pointed out that high waves lash the area posing a threat to fishermen due to decreasing depth in the area. Dredging should be done properly to increase the depth of the estuary and block high waves. Protesters alleged the authority never pays heed to their demands despite witnessing frequent accidents in the area.
