PUDUCHERRY: Puducherry MP V Vaithilingam has urged the Centre to take immediate steps to prevent sea erosion in the union territory and to protect the houses and boats of fishermen.
Speaking at the Lok Sabha on Wednesday, Vaithilingam said that the fishing villages in coastal areas of Puducherry and Karaikal are facing various issues, including sea erosion. He further said that the villages in the northern part of Puducherry, including Pillaichavady, Chinna Kalapet, Periya Kalapet and Pillaichavady, have been severely affected due to cyclone Mandous. The boats and houses of fishermen have been damaged. These fishermen need to provided with security and a long term protection plan is required.
The MP had also urged the Centre to set up a water management plan for Puducherry and Karaikal regions to tackle floods and to address scarcity of water during the summer. “Puducherry and Karaikal are coastal regions. During the rainy season, both the regions are affected by flood and water stagnation affecting the livelihood of the people. Farming also gets affected badly and crops gets damaged. The ad-hoc relief given by the government to the farmers is not enough,” he said on Tuesday.
“On the contrary, during summers, there is acute shortage of water for agriculture in rural areas and unpotable water is being supplied for drinking purpose in the urban areas due to salinity. In order to overcome this, the Jal Shakti Ministry should prepare a Detailed Project Report to set up a flood management plan in the UT.