When a boat from Colachel rescued Martin and his mates from the cyclone-hit sea, he thought the worst was over. But getting stranded in a turbulent sea was nothing compared to what awaited him on shore months of uncertainty and penury. His boat, along with two others docked in the same area, had broken down in Cyclone Ockhi, which struck in November 2017. They had to return leaving behind nets, engines, and other equipment. After completing the paperwork, Martin has been waiting for the promised compensation all these months. An official said it would have been easier if any five of us on board had died. It seems making it to the shore alive was a big mistake, he says. Martin has been jobless since then and fishing is his only vocation. The 35-year-old sustained injuries in the accident and is undergoing treatment. I have two daughters and to call the past few months hard will be an understatement. I have accumulated enough debt to drown me and each month I take new loans to pay the interest alone, says the fisherman from Poovar. Martin’s losses come to over Rs.7 lakh. All he received from the government is the Rs.5,000 for his initial medical expenses. They say they will include me on the next list. But I am in no position to wait another year for the help, he says. Antony and Kennedy, two traditional fishermen from Jonakapuram, have the same story. Every week we go to the Kollam collectorate and the Fisheries Department office to check the progress. Each time they come up with an excuse. There has been no help so far, says Antony. Last December, Jithin ventured into the sea with a 16-member crew, but never returned. When the rescue teams reached the location, only three fishermen were alive and the vessel had long vanished into the depths of the sea. Jaffath, the owner of Jithin, puts his loss at Rs.80 lakh. I submitted all the papers, but nothing has been sanctioned so far. All I got was a letter from the Fisheries Department confirming that they have received my application, he says.