The protest of the local people at Muthalappozhi, which has been going on for the past few days, was called off after District Collector K.Vasuki promised to take up the dredging work at the fishing harbour soon after the monsoon. Visiting the protesters on Wednesday, she said that she will communicate the concerns of the fish workers regarding the harbour construction to the State government.
The area has witnessed protests several times over the past few months, following deaths of fish workers near Muthalappozhi. People here point to the unscientific construction and placement of groynes (pulimutt) as the reason for the deaths. Some fishing boats had capsized in the area between the two lines of groynes, through which fishing boats head out to the sea. These accidents began happening after the beginning of the harbour construction and the placement of the groynes.
Latin Archbishop of Thiruvananthapuram M.Soosa Pakiam also visited the area on Wednesday and addressed the protesters. With the Collector promising action, the local people later called off their protest.
The Collector also visited areas in the Anchuthengu taluk, which had experienced sea erosion and the fury of the monsoon. She visited the houses which were damaged by the waves and the relief camps which have been set up there. In the past two days, two houses were completely destroyed and ten houses were partially damaged in the taluk. Twelve families have been shifted to a relief camp set up inside an auditorium in Mampally.
