RAMESWARAM/THOOTHUKUDI: The police on Wednesday barred tourists from visiting Dhanushkodi, citing an alert issued for kallakkadal (swell surge) phenomenon along the coastal areas of Lakshadweep, Kerala and Tamil Nadu.
The sea at Dhanushkodi was unusually turbulent in the morning, with waves rising several feet in the air and crashing against the protective wall near Arichal Munai.
The Indian National Centre for Ocean Information Services (INCOIS) has warned that sea conditions could be rough, with waves moving towards the shore at unusually high speeds. There is also a possibility of boats colliding with one another and sustaining damage, it added.
Following the warning, the police erected barricades at check-posts on new road areas leading to Dhanushkodi. Vehicles, including autorickshaws, cars and vans arriving from various places, were asked to turn around.
Even devotees and tourists who had visited the Rameswaram temple and arrived for the customary stop at Dhanushkodi were turned back by the police, citing rough sea conditions.
The sudden imposition of the restrictions disappointed residents, particularly women who usually set up stalls selling fruits, conch shells, shell garlands and other items along the Arichal Munai road.
Meanwhile, fishermen have been prohibited from venturing into the sea until further orders. More than 10,000 mechanised boats, country boats and fibre boats from Rameswaram, Pamban, Mandapam, Thangachimadam, Dhanushkodi and other parts of the district have been anchored along the coast.
In Thoothukudi, the Fisheries Department has alerted fishing villages. Officials have advised people living in low-lying coastal areas to remain cautious, as seawater could suddenly advance into coastal and shoreline areas. They also advised fishermen not to keep small boats close to the shore and to anchor mechanised boats with sufficient distance between them.
Coastal parks in Thoothukudi have been closed to the public.
The police barricades have been placed and warning boards put up at coastal parks, including Muthunagar Beach Park and New Harbour Beach Park, to prevent public entry. Police personnel are also patrolling coastal areas.