PARADIP: Eight fishermen reportedly went missing after their fishing trawler capsized at sea in Paradip on Tuesday. Five of them were rescued by local fishermen while the Indian Coast Guard (ICG) continued its rescue operations to locate the three others.Since marine police and ODRAF faced challenges due to heavy tidal waves and strong currents, the ICG pressed into service a helicopter for the rescue operation.
Sources revealed that the fishing trawler ‘Basulei Varasa 2’ had returned to the fishing harbour after a successful catch but capsized at the Mahanadi river mouth around 4.30 pm on the day. When the trawler overturned, eight fishermen were swept away by the powerful currents. Other trawlers in the vicinity were unable to reach them due to the high tide and dangerous conditions.
The owner of the vessel, Kalandi Biswal, said, “Five of the eight fishermen have been rescued by local fishermen but the remaining three are still missing at sea.”This is the fourth such incident in the past six months and the fishermen community attributes it to the perilous situation at the river mouth caused by extensive siltation and sand casting. It has held authorities responsible for jeopardising their lives.
General secretary of the Odisha Marine Fish Producers Association (OMFPA) Arabinda Swain emphasised the urgent need for river mouth dredging. He said, “The siltation and sand casting at the river mouth has severely disrupted the safe navigation of fishing vessels, leading to collisions with underwater sand dunes. We recently apprised the chairman of Paradip Port Authority, PL Haranadh, of river mouth dredging.”
The inspector in-charge of Paradip Marine police station Sabyasachi Rout said, five of the eight fishermen have been rescued by a tugboat, but the others are still missing. The ICG helicopter has been mobilised for the rescue efforts, he added further.
Paradip’s fishing harbour
Supports a significant fishing industry
650 mechanised fishing vessels and 336 motorised crafts operate from the port
Nearly 50,000 fishermen depend directly and indirectly on it
The river mouth’s critical areas were maintained at a depth of four metre, even during low
tide in 2002
The PPA had previously engaged the Dredging Corporation of India Ltd in 1998 and 2000 to address similar issues