Work on removing accumulated sand and scattered rocks from the Muthalapozhi harbour mouth will begin on Tuesday, the State government said on Monday.
Fisheries Minister Saji Cherian, General Education Minister V. Sivankutty and Transport Minister Antony Raju held separate discussions with the Adani Group and trade unions in the fisheries sector in view of the recurring boat accidents and deaths at Muthalappozhi.
A proposal to temporarily shut down the Muthalapozhi harbour was abandoned after the harbour unions objected to it. Instead, security measures will be ramped up in the region to prevent further fishing boat mishaps, Mr. Cherian said, briefing the media on the decisions taken at Monday’s meetings.
The Adani Group will deploy a long-boom crane and excavators for removing rocks and debris from the harbour mouth. In 2018, the Group had signed an agreement with the government to keep the harbour entrance and channel free of sand and rock by dredging.
The Harbour Engineering department, tasked with implementing a permanent sand-bypassing system to keep the harbour mouth free of sand deposits, is expected to kick off the work soon. The government has given the go-ahead for a ₹ 11 crore project for installing the permanent mechanism. ₹ 1 crore has been sanctioned for the immediate-term where sand will be removed on trucks.
As per a decision taken on Monday, the Adani Group will begin dredging for maintaining adequate depth in the harbour channel and mouth at the earliest, subject to the weather conditions, the government said. At the meeting, officials of the Ahmedabad-based Group had cited difficulties in bringing the dredger by sea to Muthalappozhi where the coastal waters are choppy. But the Ministers had insisted that dredging was imperative to keep the harbour safe for fishermen.
The number of lifeguards at Muthalappozhi will be increased from the present eight to 30 for guaranteeing the safety of the fishers using the harbour channel. They will work in eight-hour shifts. The government has deployed three boats for rescue operations. An ambulance will be stationed in the area from Tuesday.
Awareness campaigns
Awareness campaigns will also be conducted in the region to prevent fishers from setting out to sea in rough weather.
Meanwhile, experts from the Pune-based Central Water and Power Research Station (CWPRS), tasked with studying the alleged design flaws in the construction of groynes at Muthalappozhi, will visit the area next week. CWPRS is expected to file its report in December this year.
Muthalapozhi has been in the news for the recurring boat accidents which have claimed the lives of over 60 fishermen over the years. Four fishermen had died after a boat capsized here on July 10.
V. Joy, MLA, Fisheries secretary K. S. Sreenivas, Vizhinjam International Seaport Ltd managing director Adeela Abdulla, District Collector Geromic George, officials of the departments of fisheries and harbour engineering, and trade union leaders attended the meeting.
