Cyclone Ockhi: All boats safe, no fisherman missing from Kochi, says Collector
KOCHI: Allaying fears that fishermen from Kochi have gone missing after the sea along the Kerala coast turned turbulent owing to the gale triggered by Cyclone Ockhi, Ernakulam District Collector Mohammed Y Safirulla said all fishing vessels operating from Chellanam, Thoppumpady Munambam and Kochi harbours are safe. No fisherman working with these fishing vessels has been reported missing.
The Marine Enforcement wing and the Navy are scouring the sea to check if any fishing vessel registered in other states are stranded in the sea near Kochi, the Collector said.
There are around 800 fishing boats registered in Ernakulam district operating from the harbours here. However, fishing vessels from Tamil Nadu to Gujarat coastal belt pass through Kochi coastline. The Navy, Police and Marine Enforcement wing are trying to ensure no vessels from these states are stranded in Kochi coastline, said Safirulla.
168 families shifted to relief camps
With strong waves lashing the coastline posing a threat to the families living along the coastline, 168 families at Chellanam and Edavanakkad have been shifted to temporary relief camps, said Ernakulam District Collector Mohammed Y Safirulla here on Friday. The district administration has opened relief camps at Chellanam St Mary’s U P School, Puthenthodu Govt Higher Secondary School and Edavanakkad Govt U P School. As many as 580 people have been accommodated in these camps, said Safirulla.
As many as 425 people from 130 families have been provided accommodation at Chellanam St Mary’s U P School, while 68 persons from 20 families have been lodged at Puthenthodu Government HSS.
The authorities have provided shelter for 87 persons from 18 families at Edavanakkad Government UP School. Though many people returned to their houses by Friday evening, the district administration urged them to return to the camps as the sea may turn turbulent in the night.
The departments of Revenue, Fisheries, Health and Police are coordinating the relief operations, providing food, potable water, blanket and treatment to the people sheltered in the camps. The District Collector visited the camps on Friday morning and evening to evaluate the situation. City Police Commissioner M P Dinesh, Additional District Magistrate M K Kabeer, Deputy Collector Sheela Devi and Fisheries Deputy Director S Mahesh also visited the camps. The collector has directed the district medical office to ensure presence of doctors at the camps and provide emergency care facility at primary health centres. The police vehicles are making announcements regarding the situation prevailing in the coastal area.
Cop wins accolades
The video footage of a police officer carrying an elderly person to a relief camp on his shoulders has gone viral on social media.Andrews Punnackal, a civil police officer attached to Kannamaly police station, has won accolades by carrying an elderly man on his shoulders to a police jeep and then shifting him to a relief camp. “When we reached Chellanam bazaar in the morning, we saw the elderly person stuck in his neighbour’s house. I had to carry him on my shoulders as it was difficult for him to walk through the waves,” said Andrews.