[Reader-list] Fishermen seek breakwater along Eravipuram coast

[T Peter]

Fishermen seek breakwater along Eravipuram coast
Staff Reporter

KOLLAM: President of the Kerala Swathantra Matsya Thozhilali
Federation T. Peter has urged the government to initiate steps to
construct breakwater along the Eravipuram- Kakathope- Thanni coast to
save the fishermen living there from the wrath of the sea.

He was inaugurating a dharna by fishermen in front of the Collectorate
here on Friday raising the demand. He said the situation in these
areas was so dangerous that the fishermen found it difficult to live
there.

He said a sea wall constructed there was not strong enough to protect
the coast. The wall erected with small boulders could not withstand
even calm sea waves, he alleged.

He alleged the government apathy towards the breakwater project was a
ploy to evict the fishermen from the area, which had tremendous
tourism potential, and hand it over to the land mafia.

Mr. Peter pointed out that while the Coastal Regulation Zone draft
notification had provision for tourism and industrial projects in
coastal areas, it had no provision for fishermen to construct houses.

A march, which began from Eravipuram, was flagged off by Eravipuram
parish priest Fr. Jaison Joy. It was led by federation leaders S.
Francis, A. Andrews and Peter.