THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Father Laberin Yesudhas, a faculty at Kerala Law Academy law College, Thiruvananthapuram, has filed a public interest litigation in the Supreme Court alleging that the state and central governments failed in their duties to warn the fishermen on cyclone Ockhi. In his petition, he said the state and central governments, the State Disaster Management Authority, the Disaster Management Authority Response Force, IMD as well as the district administrations of Thiruvananthapuram and Kanyakumari were at fault for the mammoth loss of fishermen's lives.
Father Yesudhas, a native of Kollankode in Kanyakumari district and priest of archdiocese of Thiruvananthapuram, has also included the chief secretaries of Kerala and Tamil Nadu governments in the respondents list in the PIL, filed in the apex court on January 28. Father Yesudhas told DC that Kerala and Tamil Nadu state governments as well as the central governments are equally responsible on the loss of lives in the aftermath of Cyclone Ockhi.
“More than 100 fishermen are still missing and around 200 have been killed in Kerala alone in cyclone Ockhi,” he said. “The case is now pending before the Supreme Court and let’s see what the court says on the lackadaisical attitude of the government machinery.” Fishermen had alleged that the government had not issued early warnings or convey the extent of the danger. They also alleged that the response was slow even after the storm hit. After waiting for several days, some fishermen defied warnings and went out to search for their friends and relatives.
