NAGAPATTINAM: After a hiatus of five days due to oil leakage in a ruptured CPCL pipeline, fisherfolk from Nagore Pattinacherry and Samanthampettai ventured into sea in about 400 motorised boats on Wednesday. Learning about the oil spill incident, the fishermen had called a strike on Friday to urge the officials to fix the faulty pipeline and pump out the oiled spilled over to the sea.
However, the fishermen resumed fishing activities on Wednesday after the district administration directed the refinery to decommission the faulty pipeline which leaked thrice. "We have resumed fishing activities and we look forward for a good catch after the five-day break," said P Kanagaraj, a fisherfolk representative from Nagore Pattinacherry.
Meanwhile, fishermen from other villages in Nagapattinam also put out to sea in trawlers and gillnetters. During the peace meeting held on Monday, fisherfolk expressed contentment over the assurance given by the district administration. The representatives of the fisherfolk, meanwhile, stressed on the need to remove the pipeline.
Sources said another meeting has been scheduled for the coming week in which the CPCL is expected to come up with a proposal in regard to the removal of the pipeline. "We will take out another protest if the officials fail to arrive at an amicable solution in terms of removing the pipeline," said T Sakthivel, a fisherfolk representative from Nagore Pattinacherry. Meanwhile, the CPCL said the sea surface has been cleared of the leaked oil and the pipeline is being cleaned.