MAYILADUTHURAI: One of the two breakwaters at the under-construction Tharangambadi fishing harbour incurring damage from Cyclone Mandous has revived concerns among fishers over the safety of their anchored vessels and a further delay in completion of the port.
The rough sea conditions from the cyclone led to cracks in at least seven spots on the approach road laid on top of the south breakwater structure, on Saturday. "The storm surge seems to have unsettled some of the stones and materials underneath the approach road.
Thus, the road laid over them has sustained cracks at the expansion joints," said an official from the engineering section of the fisheries department. This has rattled Tharangambadi fishers yet again. In November 2020, Cyclone Nivar led to boulders at several parts of the breakwater to wash away.
Then, the breakwater was only about 15 feet in height. The fisherfolk had then demanded to increase its height to 20 feet from 15 feet to withstand calamities. The breakwater protects the berthing area of a harbour against strong waves. It is constructed on either side of a harbour, in the northern and southern directions, to ensure tranquility in their concave.
Approach roads are laid over them for transportation of vehicles. "We request the fisheries department to survey and analyse the damage properly. We request them to repair the cracks, as well as the entire breakwater soon," P Rajenthiran, a fisherman from Tharangambadi said. The harbour at Tharangambadi is being constructed over the past three years at a cost of Rs 120 crore, which includes about Rs 80 crore for the two breakwaters.
The south breakwater is about 1070 metres in length, and the north breakwater, 330 metres. Both structures are about 15 feet in width and 20 feet in height. "Along with Tharangambadi, at least ten fishing hamlets are looking forward to using the harbour as a base for decades.
We request repair work to be completed soon," said G Devan, another representative from Tharangambadi. When enquired, a fisheries department official said, "We inspected the damage. We have asked the contractor to repair the damaged structure since it is within the construction period."