Fear of attack halts fishing activity at Sathanur dam

According to sources, rearing of local fish varieties, including Catla and Rohu, has been a potential vocation for over three decades in the dam. Once the breeding improves in the dam, officials conduct an auction for fishing rights for a period of one year to private parties.

The auction was held this year also. But, residents from villages surrounding the dam caught fish illegally in the dam, thus affecting the daily catch of the contractor. To prevent this intrusion, the contractor employed five personnel. On December 17, these illegal fishermen created a flutter by assaulting the guards. While three of them, Silambarasan (27), Murthy (45) and Kodiappan (40), managed to escape from the spot, two others, Santosh (25) and Senthil (35), went missing. Shockingly, the bodies of the duo were fished out from the dam two days after the attack. It is suspected both the guards were murdered and their bodies were thrown into the dam.

Chengam police registered a case and arrested 8 persons in connection with the death of the duo. Official sources revealed that, fear of retaliation from the affected communities has resulted in the contractor’s staff not fishing for the last 19 days.

Police said that they would not be able to provide round-the-clock security to the staff and the only solution could be a compromise between both the sides.