A fishing boat ran aground near Veerampattinam as it neared the mouth of the Thengaithittu fishing harbour on Wednesday evening in fading light. The boat turned over on its side after grounding and was badly damaged.
Seven fishermen were on the boat at the time of the incident. “The boat was nearing the bay when the bottom hit rocks and ran aground. The boat which cost Rs. 15 lakh and fishing nets have been completely damaged,” said Sakthivel, owner of the boat, who is from Murthikuppam. “I bought the boat six years ago and it had a life expectancy of around 15 years,” he added.
Kangeyan, president of the local fishermen association said this is the fifth such accident in four months.
“Routine dredging is not being carried out here. We have been repeatedly asking the authorities at the fisheries department to look into this. Fishermen only have that one crucial hour when the tidal cycle is just about perfect to enter the harbour. If they are early or late, then there is a high chance of running aground,” he said.
“Many fishermen have been keeping away from the sea as the risk of running aground is very high in the shallow waters here. Others go to sea ignoring the risk,” he added.
On Thursday, an excavator was used to break down and pull ashore parts of the boat. Mr. Sakthivel tried removing parts which were salvageable. Insurance agents surveyed the damage and Mr. Sakthivel expected he would get some insurance compensation.
Insurance cover might not be comprehensive and a new boat can cost up to Rs. 25 lakh, said Kangeyan.
