THOOTHUKUDI: With Assembly elections around the corner, fishermen from Trespuram hope political parties would address their 10-year-long demand for better infrastructure in the fishing harbour at least this time.
The Trespuram fishing harbour is among the biggest country boat harbours in the district and can accommodate 400 country crafts. The infrastructure includes diaphragm wall wharf of 1,000 metres, main break water for 1,050 metres, and leeward break water 250 metres. The harbour houses a large fish auction centre. Fishers however say the infrastructure should be improved.
Maria Rajabose Regan, coordinator of Thoothukudi-Tirunelveli country craft boat fishermen welfare association, said there is only one jetty to handle the 400 country boats, which makes it inconvenient for them to set sail, and difficult to unload the catch. “We need at least three T-jetties. Also, the existing T-jetty should be extended by 100 metres, so we can shift the catch to the auction centre easily,” he said.
“The leeward breakwater was sanctioned for 535 metres, but officials shortened it to 250 metres citing fund crunch in 2017. The state government must restore the project as per the original plan”, the association demanded. Trespuram north country boat general panchayat president F Robert Villavarayar said the auction centre should be expanded.
When contacted, a senior officer in the fisheries department said that an estimate for construction of three T-jetties, and extension of the leeward breakwater structure, had been sent to the state government, and it was waiting clearance from the finance department.
The fishermen however alleged that officials had prepared the estimation hastily with an eye on the elections.