The State government has sanctioned three fibreglass patrol boats for three southern districts to save the fishermen in distress on the high seas and their boats.
The fishermen in this region had been appealing to the government to sanction a patrol boat to save the fishermen or launch search operation for the fishers who went missing while fishing. When the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam government was in power between 1996 and 2001, a patrol boat, ‘Muthu’, worth Rs. 1 crore, was allotted to Tuticorin district and anchored at Tuticorin fishing harbour.
However, the government that sanctioned the boat, never sanctioned a driver and other personnel required to operate the vessel. Consequently, the boat, which was never operated, rusted in rain and drowned in the fishing harbour itself.
Following repeated appeals from the fishermen, the wreckage of the boat was retrieved.
After a long gap, the government has sanctioned three 40-foot-long boats – one each for Tuticorin, Tirunelveli and Kanyakumari districts. Each boat, costing about Rs. 15 lakh, is powered by 40 HP engine and equipped with communication gadgets, GPS and other safety mechanisms.
Three drivers and as many seamen have been recruited for operating the boats.
Regional Joint Director of Fisheries Amal Xavier said that the boats would be pressed into service on getting SOS from the fishermen in distress on the high seas owing to inclement weather, rough sea condition or technical snag in the engines of their boats. Moreover, these boats would also be patrolling the high seas, he said.
“After becoming operational, we’re getting calls from the fishermen and the boats are being sent to the problematic spots to rescue the suffering fishermen and their vessels,” said Sivakumar, Assistant Director of Fisheries (Fishing Harbour).
