Vengidang: Enamavu Lake and Canoli Canal have been thickly covered with water hyacinth (Eichhornia crassipes) and its residue, preventing inland fishermen from catching fish.

Movement in boats in these waterbodies has become extremely difficult due to the overgrowth of aquatic plants, pushing the inland fishermen into penury. The surface of the lake is thickly covered with water hyacinth from Enamavu regulator to Chettuva estuary area.

The paddy field committee diverts the water hyacinth, its residue and other waste materials into the lake instead of scooping them out using machinery.

These aquatic plants are now accumulated even underneath the water blocking the natural flow of water. 

Besides, the nets cast by the fishermen are often damaged after these plants get stuck in the nets, causing them severe financial trouble. Sand mining is done for 24 hours at four spots between Chettuva bridge and Pulikkakadavu bridge. The sand that is mined from the lake is used for the national highway development project. The Canoli Canal and the lake get deeper due to sand mining, which increases the fish population as well as prevents flooding during monsoon. However, fish don’t swim from the ocean to the lake when the sand mining is happening. So, the fishermen have been demanding to stop the mining process at night for at least six hours during the high tides. The inland fishermen say that sand mining should be done first in the area between Enamavu lake and Chettuva – Chakkamkandam that is covered in sludge and waste. 

The Kerala Independent Fish Workers Federation leaders UA Anandan, KV Velukutty and KV Manoharan said that the federation will organise a protest meeting near the Enamavu regulator area on August 28 to urge the authorities to solve the issues of the fishermen in the region.