THOOTHUKUDI: As fishermen were loading ice bars from a container truck onto the mechanised fishing vessels tethered to the boat jetty on Sunday, the concrete portion of the Tharuvaikulam boat jetty caved in. The rear end wheel of the truck was stuck in the hole, and a crane was used to lift it up.
A few fishermen said that the 300-metre-long boat jetty was built and inaugurated in 2015, and the structure was expected to have a lifespan of 30 years. However, it got damaged within 10 years. The jetty had also been unstable for the past few years.
Paulraj, the Tharuvaikulam fishermen’s common association president, said that the district administration must take necessary efforts to repair the damaged jetty immediately, as the fishermen will have to load ice bars, fishnets, groceries, and other fishing gear this week to set sail from June 15.
Churchil, a fisherman, said that the jetty will be frequented by trucks to load ice bars and groceries to all 230 vessels as the two-month fishing ban period will conclude on June 14. The damage had raised concerns about the jetty’s stability. However, the fisheries department must conduct a thorough stability check, considering the safety of fishermen.
Lourthuraj, Tharuvaikulam fisherman society president, said that they have complained about the poor stability of the jetty many times, however, the government did not pay much heed to it. The Tharuvaikulam fishing harbour had 70 mechanised gill net vessels when the jetty was constructed in 2015, which has steeply increased to 230 vessels now.
This increased the mobility of heavy vehicles on the jetty. He added, “Despite Tharuvaikulam fishing hamlet being a vibrant fishing harbour, the DMK government has not developed this area in the past four years.”