Even as the entire State is in the grip of festival mood, there is no sign of celebration among vendors of dry and wet fish, cycle rickshaw-pullers, and others whose livelihood has been hit hard in the aftermath of cyclone Hudhud.
The government issued an order vide GO Ms. No. 13 on October 22, 2014, for payment of compensation to boat operators and crew of damaged vessels.
This denies any benefit to those who eke out a living by transporting fish catch and ice cubes by cycle rickshaw and push-carts, drying fish, and for khalasis who carry the consignment from the auction centres to various vehicles.
The GO promises Rs.10,000 to each member of the crew of damaged boats.
“What is there for us to celebrate Sankranti? Pandaga (festival) has become dandaga (waste) for us. From the day Hudhud struck us on October 12, we have no stable income. Except for providing ration, the government has not given us any cash compensation,” points out Malipalli Mutyalamma, a dry fish vendor.
Mutyalamma, who is joint secretary of Fisherfolk Foundation and hails from Kodapalem of Pudimadaka, about 50 km from here, is one among a few other women who are sensitising fisherwomen on their rights.
For the wet fish sellers also life has become very difficult.
In fishermen families, women play a big role in financial management.
“Our houses are either fully blown away or partially damaged in the cyclone. With no succour from the government and declining catch post-Hudhud, we are facing an uncertain future,” says Vadamodula Rajji, a wet fish vendor. All those connected with fishing in some way or the other, mostly women from Pudimadaka, Gangavaram, Nakkapalli, Rajaiahpeta, Vaddachepurapalle, Visakhapatnam, Bhimili, Mangamaripeta, and other places in the district, numbering over 20,000, want that they be treated as traditional fishermen and given all the benefits due to them from the government.
“By forming the Fisherfolk Foundation, we want to convince the government to treat all these marginalised sections as part of fishing community.
“We are also campaigning for extension of cash benefit as compensation for the livelihood suffered by all of them,” said executive secretary of District Fishermen Youth Welfare Association Arjili Dasu.
What is there for us to celebrate? Pandaga has become dandaga for us. Except for providing ration, the government has not given us any cash compensation.
Malipalli Mutyalamma
Dry fish vendor
GO issued
post-Hudhud does not cover those dependent on the sector but are not identified as traditional fishermen
