PUDUCHERRY: Reiterating their demand for a bait curve to prevent coastal erosion, fishermen from four villages along ECR, namely Pillaichavady, Periyakalapet, Chinnakalapet, and Ganapathichellikulam launched a hunger strike, on Monday. The long pending demand resurfaced ahead of winter rains in Puducherry and Tamil Nadu, and greater chances of storms, depressions, and cyclones that are usually common between October and December.
The protest comes in response to the lack of government measures to mitigate coastal erosion and was staged in front of the Kalapat Cinema theatre. It was led by Meenava Panchayat president Velu, who demanded that a bait curve be constructed soon and garnered support from Congress.
Congress MP V Vaithilingam and former minister MOHF Shahjahan expressed their solidarity with the fishermen. Vaithilingam criticised both Centre and state governments for their perceived indifference towards the plight of the fishermen and specifically slammed Lieutenant Governor Dr Tamilisai Soundararajan and the AINRC-BJP alliance.
In Pillaichavady, Vaithilingam said, the sea has entered the temple premises and the local burial ground is already inundated. Erosion has made it impossible for locals to dock their boats, and even though the area's representative has visited the site, he said, no action has been taken.
The Congress leader further revealed that he had personally appealed to the government to construct a bait curve in the affected villages and conduct a comprehensive study of the coastal areas to address the issue of sea erosion. Vaithilingam warned of taking the matter to Delhi with a delegation of fishermen if the concerns of the community are not met.
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