THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The harbour engineering department on Tuesday began dredging activities to remove the accumulated sand at the harbour mouth in Muthalapozhi, Thiruvananthapuram, after several days of protest by the fisherfolk and trade unions.
An indefinite protest was launched following the shutdown of the harbour due to the sand accumulation last week.
Although a consensus has been reached, the fishermen have restricted dredging activities within 20m of the sandbar from the sea. As many as five panchayats in the area are under flood threat due to the formation of a sandbar in the estuary.
An official from the harbour engineering department said the fishermen are adamant and have tied ribbons to restrict dredging activities and prevent the opening of the estuary. They have demanded that the sandbar not be cut open fully until the dredger arrives.
“We have started the work and are trying to mobilise more machinery to expedite it. The fishermen insist that the sandbar should only be cut open after the dredger arrives,” said the official. The department is bringing a dredger from Azheekal via sea to Muthalapozhi to make the harbour mouth navigable for fishing boat operations.