THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Fishermen ought to be the first in line to protect the the marine ecosystem. Nevertheless, in a classic case of the protector turning tormentor, a large number of fishermen have been observed dumping waste generated into the sea.
"Trash is disposed near our settlement area, adjacent to the coast. During the rough sea season, the garbage will be washed away by the sea. The garbage escalates the rate of flies and mosquitoes, which creates serious health issues to our children," said Joy David, a fisherman from Valiyathura.
"We have informed the Health Department regarding the issue. The department visited the venue once but no action was taken in this regard," complained Joy. The families dwelling in flats provided by the government in Muttathara resonated the same."The absence of garbage disposal platforms is a problem. while going to fish. We have no option other than dumping waste in the sea," says one of the fishermen.
According to a study conducted at Kerala University in March 2018, fishermen admit disposing garbage in the sea.
"We tried to implement plastic free zone in Shankumugham Beach, but we were not able to do the same. We tried to educate roadside vendors but it wasn't fruitful," said Bharat Govind, head of Sthithi project.
According to the fishermen, the district corporation vehicle that comes to collect garbages fails to reach the coastal region.