MADURAI: With 46 coastal hamlets situated in Kanniyakumari, a branch of the Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre (MRCC) has become essential in the district to help save the lives of fishermen in distress at sea.
“The establishment of MRCC is highly essential to instantly respond to conduct operations to search and rescue stranded vessels,” P Justin Antony, president of International Fishermen Development Trust (INFIDET) said on Monday.
Fishing boats might get stranded due to engine failure and they might also be hit by ships accidentally, endangering the lives of fishermen.
These factors were highlighted to an expert team of the National Centre for Coastal Research (NCCR), headed by scientist Kiran Raju, who met representatives of fishermen associations during a visit to the areas affected by sea erosion.
At a meeting held in Erayumanthurai in the district, the fishermen representatives expressed their grievances to the NCCR team.
Justin Antony on behalf of the fishermen explained the need for the branch of MRCC and added that he had already submitted a memorandum to Prime Minister Narendra Modi during his visit to Kanniyakumari after the Cyclone Ockhi in 2017. “Unfortunately, the deadly cyclone claimed many lives of fishermen and caused major destruction in Kanniyakumari district,” he recalled.
Many fishermen also felt the need for the extension of groynes in the western part of Chinnathurai, proper approach roads to the coastal villages, net mending shelters for the fishermen, and construction of new houses for those who lost their houses due to the sea erosion.
They also urged the need to deploy helicopter search and rescue agencies and high-speed boats. Thengapattanam Harbour construction team comprising officials Selvaraj, Sudalaiyandi and Mahendran were among those present, sources said.