All six fishermen rescued after their boat capsized in strong estuarine waves on Saturday, condition of two reported to be critical.
A strong wave tossed and capsized a fishing boat with six men at Muthalapozhi harbor in Thiruvananthapuram. (Screegrab)
Six fishermen who took the perilous journey to the sea through Muthalapozhi in Thiruvananthapuram had a providential escape after strong estuarine waves tossed and capsized their boat on Saturday, 29 July.
The estuary has become a nightmare for the fishermen, who keep braving the deadly waves at the sea mouth to keep the pot boiling back home.
A joint operation by the Coast Guard and other fishermen plucked six men, who were on the boat that capsized around 7.30 am on Saturday, out from the jaws of death.
Two of them, identified only as Babu and Christydas, were rushed to a nearby hospital in a grievous condition. Christydas was later shifted to the Medical College Hospital as his condition deteriorated.
According to official figures, the picturesque estuary witnessed 700 accidents that claimed 69 people in the past 10 years. Over 700 people were injured.
In the previous accident on 10 July, four people were killed. Following the incident, irate fishermen and their families led by the Latin Catholic Church entered into a verbal spat with ministers V Sivankutty, Antony Raju and GR Anil, who visited the Muthalapozhi area.
The ministers asked the fishermen not to “show off”, inviting widespread resentment from all corners of the state.
Suresh Fernandez, 58, Biju Antony, 45, Robin Edwin, 42, and Kunhumon Cycil, 48, were the fishermen killed in the 10 July incident. While Cycil’s body was found the same day itself, the remaining bodies were recovered about 48 hours later.
On 17 July, Fisheries Minister Saji Cheriyan announced an ex gratia of ₹10 lakh each to the families of the four deceased fishermen. He also said that houses would be provided for the homeless, besides creating livelihood opportunities.
Debris of boats that had met with accidents could be seen left unattended in the surroundings, a grim reminder of the deceptive waters at the sea mouth.
The latest accident occurred a day after several unions of fishermen held a meeting to discuss a government proposal to temporarily stop fishermen from sailing through the channel leading from the Muthalapozhi Harbour to the sea given the recurring accidents.
The unions unanimously rejected the proposal to halt the usage of the channel until 5 September, when the sea would likely be calmer. The meeting concluded that unscientific construction of the harbour has been causing the accidents.
The meeting also decided to submit eight recommendations to the government to rectify the current situation at the harbour.
The harbour, built in the early 2000s, has been in use even before it was commissioned in 2020.
Muthalapozhi is some 40 km north of Vizhinjam, where the fishers launched a movement some months ago against corporate major Adani Group’s mega seaport project, saying it would ruin their livelihood.
The Kerala government suppressed that agitation with the support of all political formations across the spectrum.
District Collector Geromic George informed South First that 69 people were killed in the past 10 years. However, the local fishing community said the number of fatalities would cross three digits.
The fishermen have lost trust in the government. “We no longer trust any of the governments. They keep giving us false promises. We do not know how to proceed in the aftermath of the Vizhinjam struggle,” Valerian, an activist of the Kerala Swatantra Matsya Thozhilali Federation, said.
The frustration and disappointment were palpable as authorities have been repeatedly leaving fishermen with broken promises and a lack of meaningful action.
The Muthalapozhi Mini-Fishing Harbour has been a struggle for fisherfolk seeking safe and sustainable livelihoods. For decades, the concerns of the fishing and coir-dependent communities around Muthalapozhi have revolved around two critical issues: Fatal accidents during the monsoon season, and persistent waterlogging.
The latter issue was solved with the construction of the harbour. However, the issue of ensuring fishers’ safety and livelihoods remains unresolved.
May 08, 2024
May 08, 2024
May 08, 2024
May 07, 2024
May 06, 2024
May 05, 2024
