The fishermen who anchor their boats at the yard behind the Seva Bharathi Tsunami quarters in Keechankuppam are grappling with a severe shortage of space. At present, the yard gets about 400 boats, including tuna and fibre boats, owned by fishermen from the Tsunami Quarters in Kamaraj Nagar and Tata Nagar at Akkaraipettai, and Seva Bharathi in Keechankuppam village.
“The existing jetty can accommodate only 50 boats and it was built based on requirements about a decade ago. Over the past 10 years, government subsidies, economic opportunities, and bank loans have helped many fishermen buy their own boats. We need an extension of 500 metres for the jetty,” said S. Vijay Kumar from the Indian National Fishermen Union.
“At present, boats are anchored one behind the other, making it difficult for a third boat to pass creating heavy traffic and causes long delays,” he said. “It is similar to human beings living in congested spaces. Often, when boats are anchored closely, they collide, causing damage and sometimes affecting the engine. This causes friction among boat owners. After the existing jetty, we have to walk through mud and waste to reach our boats. An extended jetty will allow us to dry fishing nets and sell fish as well,” said A. Ravichandran, a fisherman from Seva Bharathi Tsunami quarters.
When reached out by The Hindu, an official from the Fisheries Department said a proposal had been sent to the government to extend the existing jetty for the benefit of fishermen.