A dredger deployed to pump sea sand into geotextile tubes at Chellanam as part of efforts to protect the vulnerable coastal stretches of the panchayat, sank into water during rough weather conditions off the coast of Velankanni on Sunday night.
The dredger was washed close to the shore on Saturday night after it broke off its mooring around 200 metres off the coast. Officials visited the site to assess the situation.
The sea has been rough for a couple of days, and the dredger was to be brought closer to the harbour at Chellanam earlier.
