Tension prevailed in Nallavadu village after fishing net and equipment worth about Rs. 30 lakh and a government building where they were stocked were extensively damaged in a fire in the wee hours of Monday.
With the 45-day trawling ban in Tamil Nadu and Puducherry coming to an end on May 30, fishermen had repaired and kept their nets ready for the next season. Around 15 fishermen had shared costs of the purse seine net (surukku valai), said Muthukrishnan, one of the fishermen.
The damage to the building has been estimated at Rs. 50 lakh, said R. Subramani, president, Nallavadu village fishermen panchayat.
However, an official complaint is yet to be registered, said V. Deivasigamani, superintendent of police (Rural).
“The panchayat is conducting an inquiry into the matter. They will decide to lodge a complaint only after discussions. They may dispose of the case among themselves. The cause of the fire is also not clear. It could have been an accident or an act of arson,” he said.
S. Kumar, secretary of the one of the Puducherry fishing community associations, said the director of the Department of Fisheries had not yet visited the site or called regarding the incident. “The concerns of the fishing community are not properly addressed by the government,” he said.
When asked about the Fisheries Department response, Mary Chinna Rani, director, said: “We have sent one of our inspectors to assess the damage. The report will be sent to the distress relief society committee. So far, no compensation has been announced yet. We are also yet to receive an application from the complainants.”
