CHENNAI: Fishermen unions in the city have urged the State government to take immediate steps to trace the 10 fishermen who went missing on July 23. Head of a fishing union in Kasimedu A Sounder said that they had tried to contact the fishermen group, belonging to villages along Royapuram and Thiruvottriyur coasts.
“Their cell phones are not reachable and the GPS on the boats are also not functioning. We met Fisheries Minister D Jayakumar on Monday and requested him to take steps to trace the group immediately,” he added.
Authorities have told the union leaders that the boat engines might have conked out, and the group must still be in the sea. The Fisheries Minister said that the missing fishermen should have returned by August 7. “They were last spotted near Krishnapatnam near Andhra Pradesh. Search operation by Coast Guard boats and aircrafts are underway. The government is doing everything possible to find the group,” Jayakumar added.