Chennai: State Fisheries Minister D. Jayakumar on Sunday asserted that the efforts to search for the fishermen who went missing in the path of Cyclone Ockhi have been intensified and that Indian Navy, Air force and the Coast Guard are involved in the operation.
Talking to reporters here, the Minister asked the fishing community not to get panicky or overanxious, as all efforts are being made to locate the missing men. “Fishermen too are accompanying the forces in the search operation since they know the sea and the islands well”, he said. He also said 0that those fishermen who had landed in other States are being brought to Tamil Nadu.
Meanwhile, according to an official release ‘OP Sahayam’ of Southern Naval Command persisted for the eleventh day on Dec. 10 over Southeast Arabian Sea and L & M islands. Nine ships and all available aircraft have continued the search operations. Long Range Maritime Reconnaissance aircraft P8I searched over entire Maldives. Fishing community had estimated few vessels to be stranded in the islands of Maldives.
Expeditious clearance was obtained through diplomatic channels to fly over Maldives and calls were given on Very high frequency (VHF) Radio. Officials have also confirmed that Maldivian local undertook search and have not located any fishermen on the islands.
INS Sujata equipped with mobile morgue boxes, embarked four fishermen and deputy Tehsildar Mohan Raj on Sunday at Vizhinjam port for joining the deepsea search operations. Another vessel, INS Subhadra, under routine deployment, identified twelve crew onboard two Tamil Nadu registered fishing vessels Milkyas & Felaxia about 90 miles Northwest of Bitra island of Lakshdweep group of Islands.
