Cyclone Mandous: No place to hide, boats and nets caught in eye of storm
CHENNAI: Though cyclonic storm ‘Mandous’ crossed the coast without much damage as the state government had taken adequate precautionary measures, fishermen of Nochikuppam near Marina Beach feel neglected.
The urban slum, which has about 200 boats and over 1,000 fishing nets worth Rs 15 crore, was left to the mercy of the storm because of lack of shelter. Unlike fishing villages in other districts, Nochikuppam doesn’t have net mending shed or any other shelter where fishermen can secure their fishing gear and boat engines during storms.
S Ethiraj, a fisherman from Nochikuppam, told TNIE, “It has been a long-pending demand. None of us slept yesterday. When the cyclone was crossing the coast around midnight and huge waves hit the coast, we were on the beach risking our lives to protect our fishing gear. Several fishing nets and boat engines got buried in sand. Some boats were damaged after they dashed against one another.”
“I have six fishing nets each costing Rs 50,000 to Rs 1 lakh. Boat engine costs Rs 75,000. They are our only assets. I don’t know what their condition is. At least for a few days I can’t go fishing without cleaning and repairing the nets and servicing the engine,” Ethiraj said. The state government must construct a permanent shelter near the shore for us to safeguard our gear at such times of calamity, he said.
South Indian Fishermen Welfare Association President Bharathi, said the government carries out all sorts of projects on fishermen’s land, but it doesn’t have the commitment to build a small shelter for fishermen. “Not only Nochikuppam, all the fishing villages in Chennai face similar problems. We are forced to mend our nets near a temple or under a tree in the hot sun. In other districts, fisheries department has created necessary facilities.”
An assistant director in fisheries department told TNIE, “There isn’t enough space near Nochikuppam for constructing a shelter. We can build the shelter only on fishermen’s land. If it’s a revenue land, other formalities have to be followed. Also, the Marina beach beautification project would be a roadblock. But if fishermen submit a formal proposal we will look into it.”
Meanwhile, Kasimedu fishermen have also reported damage to fishing vessels due to the cyclone. Chief minister MK Stalin inspected the harbour on Saturday and took stock of the situation. Officials said special teams have been formed to assess cyclone damage along the coastline of Chennai region.