Fishermen families, driven out of their homes by raging waves, are living under abject conditions at various relief camps that have been opened.
Nothing much has changed for those who have been rehabilitated at the Government Upper Primary School in Valiyathura, even a day after the visit by Minister for Revenue E. Chandrasekharan on Monday. Around 30 families have been accommodated at the camp.
“The Minister said we would be provided free ration and other basic amenities at the earliest. But, quite understandably, many here are sceptical about the assurance, given the inadequate support we received from the government during the Ockhi tragedy. With the authorities having failed to even ensure adequate food supply, our concerns are not unfounded,” says Charles, whose family was left with no option but to shift to the camp after their house was damaged in the swell waves.
Their pleas to unclog the badly-maintained toilets have gone unheard. “The situation has been the same since the relief camp was opened. We were asked by certain officials to refrain from voicing such concerns during the Minister’s visit,” Baby Joseph said.
Joseph, another fisherman, said the compensation of ₹4 lakh announced by the government was inadequate to construct a house. “We have to start from scratch yet again. Unable to put out to sea for a week, the families now depend on the income earned by their womenfolk who sell. With fishing operations coming to a halt in the region, we have been trying to make a living by selling fish transported from Neendakara through agents. Considering the transportation costs, our earnings are meagre,” Joseph pointed out.
After a Cabinet meeting, Fisheries Minister J. Mercykutty Amma said efforts were on to shift all coastal residents beyond 50 m from the high-tide line. The housing project for fishers at Muttathara was nearing completion and the government had identified land at Karode and Adimalathura for similar projects. The Revenue Minister said 10 houses in Thiruvananthapuram had been destroyed and 35 damaged by the swell waves.
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