NAGAPATTINAM: Fisherfolk from Seruthur say they face risks to their lives and damages to vessels due to excess silt deposited at Vellaiyaru river estuary. They have raised demands to dredge the estuary and construct groynes to prevent silt from accumulating at the estuary.
Sources attributed rough weather conditions to have contributed to silt getting deposited at the estuary between Seruthur and Velankanni, causing inconvenience to motorised boats passing through the area. It is to be noted that the estuary was dredged at a cost of Rs 4 crore in 2020.
P Samikannu, the president of the fisheries cooperative society in Seruthur, said, "It is extremely dangerous to pass set sail at nights. We are faced with the risk of crashing into the silt mounds. We, therefore, urge the authorities to dredge the estuary, deepen it further and also construct groynes."
Vellaiyaru River, a distributary of the Cauvery, opens to Velankanni in the north and Seruthur in the south at the Bay of Bengal. Fisherfolk of Seruthur and Velankanni venture into sea and return to shore through the estuary. It is to be noted fishermen from both the villages berth their boats along the river end. There about 480 motorised boats in Seruthur and 70 in Velankanni.
Sources said silt gets accumulated at the estuary particularly at the end of monsoon. S Thiyagarajan, another fisher representative, said, "Though we have had several times requested officials to take action on the issue, they are yet to come up with a solution."
Meanwhile, the fisherfolk here have also raised demands for the construction of a groyne to the Velankanni side of the estuary to reduce silt accumulation. However, officials of the fisheries and the district department said a groyne at Velankanni may lead to erosion at the Velankanni Beach.
As of now, there is only one groyne, which is located in Seruthur. An official of the fisheries department said, "A proper study needs to be undertaken before moving ahead with such proposals. Experts say 'layered short groynes' would serve the purpose than groyne structures since the former has the capacity to prevent silt accumulation as well as erosion."