The State government would construct a modern harbour at Muthalapozhy, a major fishing landing centre 26 km from Thiruvananthapuram city. Fisheries Minister Saji Cherian said on Wednesday that the government would open the new harbour to fishers in 2027. Construction work will commence on Thursday. Earlier, he chaired a stakeholders’ meeting with representatives of the significant fishing community who were restive over the alleged slow progress in dredging the submerged sandbar, which has rendered the sea at the estuary’s inlet dangerously choppy for fishing boats and their crews.
Conflicting currents
For months, fishers have found it perilous to navigate the harbour mouth. They complain that the sandbar drastically reduced its depth, triggering strong conflicting currents and eddies powerful enough to draw boats into its vortex. According to government figures, at least 14 fishers died, and several were seriously injured in as many as 150 accidents at Muthalapozhy since 2022. Lakhs of rupees of fishing gear, including boats and nets, were also lost to the sea.
Muthalapozhy harbour, located on the scenic coast where the Vamanapuram river meets the Arabian Sea, supports hundreds of traditional fisherfolk families, provides anchorage for a significant number of fishing boats, and is one of the leading fish landing centres in southern Kerala. Fishers told the Minister that the situation had become so dire in recent months that local fishers have moved their boats to other fish landing centres, weakening the local economy.
Lying idle
According to the fishers, as many as 177 seafaring fishing boats are lying idle in Muthalapozhy, exacerbating unemployment and the cost of living crisis. Mr. Cherian later told reporters that the government would expedite the dredging of the harbour mouth. He said the government has increased daily dredging from 10 to 20 hours. The administration has commandeered the services of the Kerala Maritime Board’s Chandragiri dredger to expedite the desilting operation. It has also contracted six Hitachi long boom dredgers to assist the operation.
Mr. Cherian also said the government would open the sandbars formed off the Vakkom, Chirayankeezhu, Kadakkavoor, Anchuthengu, Azhoor, and Kadinamkulam coastal localities. He said the sandbars were the leading cause of tidal surges and flooding in the localities and adjacent areas, chiefly during the monsoon. The government has channelled operations funds from the State Disaster Management Authority.