With a fortnight left before they set sail, deep sea fishers from the western coast of Kanyakumari district have urged the Union government to set up a sub-centre of Marine Rescue Coordination Centre (MRCC) in the district. The 560-odd deep sea fishing vessels operating from Thoothoor panchayat undertake fishing expeditions lasting 30 to 45 days as they sail deeper into Indian Ocean.
Ever since cyclone Ockhi wreaked havoc on their lives with bodies of only 27 of the 177 who went missing recovered, fishermen leaders have been pressing for the sub-centre in Kanyakumari. Indian Coast Guard is the National Maritime Search and Rescue Coordinating Authority of Indian Maritime Search and Rescue Region which is divided into three areas with Maritime Rescue Coordination Centres (MRCC) functioning at Mumbai, Chennai and Port Blair.
Under MRCC Mumbai, there are Maritime Rescue Sub Centres (MRSC) in Porbandar, Goa, Mangalore, Kochi and Maritime Rescue Sub Sub Centre (MRSSC) in Okha and Vadinar. Under MRSC Chennai, there are MRSCs in Tuticorin, Vizag, Paradip, Haldia and MRSSC in Mandapam. Under MRCC Port Blair, there are MRSCs in Diglipur and Campbell Bay.
Recently, International Fishermen Development Trust at Kanyakumari petitioned visiting scientist Kiran Raju of National Centre for Coastal Research requesting for an MRCC sub-centre in the region. “We had submitted the same appeal to the Prime Minister during his visit to Kanyakumari after the cyclone,” recalled trust president Justin Antony.
“It has been a decade since Thengapattinam harbour has come up. But there are no rescue coordination measures here. More than 350 deep sea vessels are operating from the harbour. We need a mechanism to save our brethren caught in mid-sea accidents,” said S Bibin, secretary of St Thomas Boat Union in Thoothoor.