NAGAPATTINAM: Fishing activity at Seruthur village has come to a standstill for the past few days after fisherfolk, citing risk to their lives and boats due to silt accumulation at the Vellaiyaru River estuary, halted fishing activity since September 1.
The mounting of silt along the Vellaiyaru estuary between Seruthur and Velankanni has been causing motorised boats passing through it to get bumped, endangering the vessels and lives of fisherfolk. Demanding construction of structures to prevent silt mounting and erosion, fisherfolk had said they would resort to agitation on Tuesday.
On Monday, the fisherfolk panchayat representatives met the joint director of the fisheries department at his office. As per his assurance and a panchayat meeting in Seruthur, the fisherfolk decided to withdraw the agitation. "The silt mounts have completely covered the river end. We are unable to take off or land with our boats through the estuary.
This has been happening repeatedly over the years. We demand steps to construct permanent structures to prevent silt accumulation and erosion," said P Murugapandi, a representative from Seruthur fisherfolk panchayat. One of the distributaries of the Cauvery River, Vellaiyaru opens into the Bay of Bengal between two villages - Velankanni in the north and Seruthur in the south. Fishers from both villages keep their boats along the end of the river.
There are about 480 motorised boats in Seruthur and 70 motorised boats in Velankanni. The fishers venture into sea and return to shore through the estuary. The estuary gets silted more often due to natural causes. The banks along the estuary end have also eroded on both sides inwards. The Vellaiyaru river estuary was last dredged in 2020.
However, fishers have alleged that silt has kept mounting and demanded permanent structures to reduce silt accumulation and erosion. "We once sent a proposal for the construction of a couple of breakwater structures on either side of the estuary mouth and will send it again once the oceanography team from IIT Madras completes the study. As an intermediate remedy, we will dredge the estuary and clear the silt mounts," said an official from the Fisheries Department.