Harbour blockage Protest continues in Kerala's Muthalapozhi

    Thiruvananthapuram, Apr 16 (PTI) Muthalapozhi, a coastal hamlet here, continued to witness intense protests on Wednesday, with fishermen and trade unions demanding a solution to the blockage of the estuary at the harbour due to the accumulation of sand.
    The protest began a few days ago. Activists of the Congress-affiliated trade union INTUC took out a protest march in the hamlet and laid siege to the office of the Assistant Executive Engineer of the Harbour Engineering Department on Wednesday.
    Another fishermen’s outfit also announced a protest in front of the office later in the day.
    The protesting Indian National Trade Union Congress workers raised slogans against the alleged government indifference in removing the accumulated sand and demanded that dredging be carried out more effectively.
    Earlier on Tuesday, Congress workers squatted on the road in front of State Fisheries Minister Saji Cheriyan’s official residence in the city and raised slogans demanding urgent action.
    Trade union activists, including those from Centre of Indian Trade Unions (CITU) and INTUC, also staged a protest in front of the Harbour’s Assistant Executive Engineer’s office in Muthalapozhi on Tuesday morning.
    A fisherman said the accumulation of sand and ineffective dredging had made their lives miserable.
    "Our livelihood is lost. There is starvation in many homes here. The majority of families here have elderly and bedridden persons. We have no means of living other than fishing," he said.
    He further said they had been demanding effective measures for a long time to remove the accumulated sand, but nothing had happened so far.
    Meanwhile, later in the day, the Executive Engineer of the Harbour Engineering Division assured that the sand accumulated at the Muthalapozhi estuary would be completely removed by May 15.
    The assurance was given to the State Minority Commission during its sitting here, an official statement said.
    Work is progressing to remove the sand accumulated in the channel, and conditions for fishing would be restored within a week, the statement quoted the engineer as saying.
    The authorities made this clear during the hearing of a case that the Commission had taken up suo motu in connection with a series of boat accidents in the area.
    They also stated that efforts are underway to bring the dredger owned by the Kerala Maritime Board to Muthalapozhi to avoid accidents during the monsoon season.
    The Fisheries Department informed the Commission that the contract for work to increase the length of the pulimuttu (groynes) will be signed this month and completed within a year and a half, the statement added.
    The protests intensified amidst reports that the government was considering shutting down the Muthalapozhi harbour—where the estuary has been blocked due to sand accumulation—and relocating fishermen to other harbours.
    Muthalapozhi in Perumathura is where the Vamanapuram River and Kadinamkulam Lake meet the Arabian Sea.
    The area has become hazardous for fishermen both while setting out to sea and upon their return.
    The coastal hamlet has recently been in the news for several fishing boat accidents.
    The Centre recently approved the long-awaited comprehensive development of the fishing harbour.

(This story has not been edited by THE WEEK and is auto-generated from PTI)