The State-level meeting of the CITU affiliated to the Tamil Nadu Meenpidi Thozhirsanga Koottamaippu has appealed to the Tamil Nadu government to take adequate precautionary measures using the latest communication technologies to protect fishermen and those living in the coastal areas during cyclones and other natural calamities. The meeting was chaired by G. Selestine, president of the koottamaippu in Rameswaram, on Saturday adopted resolutions. When Ockhi cyclone hit Tamil Nadu and Kerala last year, fishermen in the two Sates were badly affected due to the inadequate precautionary measures and failure on fully utilising the latest communication technologies. The Centre had totally failed to come to the rescue of the affected fishermen, they blamed. The meeting, in another resolution, urged the State government to withdraw the draft Coastal Regulation Zone (CRZ), 2018 as it went against the interest of fishermen and would destroy their livelihood. In another resolution, the meeting condemned the Sri Lanka’s newly amended fishing Acts, stating that they aimed at destroying the livelihood of Tamil Nadu fishermen. In another resolution, the meeting urged the State government not to let inland waterbodies on lease to private farms for setting up fish farms. Instead, it should accord the fishing rights to inland fishing cooperative societies, it said. State-level office-bearers S. Anthony, K.M. Lingam, S. Subramanian, R. Loganathan and M. Karunamurthy were among others attended the meeting.