Tension prevailed for some time when a clash broke out between two sections of the fishermen community at Peda Waltair on Thursday night over the use of ring nets for fishing. Police personnel rushed to the scene to control the situation from escalating. Arjili Dasu, leader of the Fishermen’s Welfare Association, said that the government should intervene in the matter and take appropriate measures to solve the problem on a permanent basis.
President of AP Mechanised Boat Operators’ Welfare Association Vasupalli Janakiram said that the dispute was not a major issue involving the entire community but rather an internal issue between two fishermen groups belonging to the same family. When contacted, a Fisheries Department official said, “We have issued clear instructions to the fishermen’s groups involved in the clash not to use ring nets as per the guidelines.”