KOLLAM: Majority of the fishermen, on boats registered in Kollam, ignored the official warning in the wake of Cyclone Titli wreaking havoc on the Odisha coast and ventured into the sea, putting the authorities under pressure. After facing the Ockhi wrath last year, almost all fishers had complied with the cyclone warning for October 6. But after it turned out to be a false alarm, the community decided to overlook the warning this time.
A joint weather alert by IMD-INCOIS-KSDMA on Thursday had asked fishers not to go into the sea, shallow or deep, until Sunday due to the intense wind that could blow at a maximum speed of up to 160 kmph.
Boats, including deep sea liners that go as far as 250 nautical miles, have ventured into the sea after waiting in the harbour for days together.
“We were happy when all the boats that went into deep sea managed to reach the harbour after listening to the previous warning. How can we survive if we keep listening to inaccurate weather alerts,” asked Kerala Fishing Boat Operators’ Association (AKFBOA) president Peter Mathias. According to him, the government has been proactive in issuing warnings every other day after Ockhi and such unwarranted caution has resulted in losses for the industry.