Chennai/Kanyakumari : Averring that several fishermen who were reported to be missing have been rescued and the lives of only four fishermen have been lost due to Cyclone Ockhi, State Fisheries Minister D. Jayakumar on Tuesday has said search operations in the sea will continue till the last fisherman is found.
“As of December 2, a total of 3,724 fishermen, including 158 fishermen in 37 country boats and 3,566 men in 284 mechanised boats were reported missing. Of them, a total of 123 men on 24 country crafts and 3,139 who set out to fish on 297 mechanised vessels have been rescued and brought home safely. In addition, 19 returned home after treatment, while four lives have been lost because of Ockhi”, Mr Jayakumar said.
He disclosed that about 35 men who went for fishing on 13 country boats and 427 men who left the shores on 35 mechanised boats have to be traced. About 1,508 men on 154 boats returned from other States. “Search operation is on and the Chief Minister (Edappadi K. Palaniswami) has accelerated the official machinery to continue the search till the last fisherman is found”, the Minister said, expressing the hope that all the men would return home safely.
“All steps to rescue fishermen are on in full swing. The Tamil Nadu government, in coordination with the Indian Navy, Coast Guard and Air Force, has intensified the rescue measures and all possible places in the sea, as well as islands, are being searched”, he added.
To a question, the Minister said joint committees comprising officials from the Fisheries and Revenue departments have been formed to enumerate the exact number of fishing crafts, the number of fishermen who set sail and also to gather particulars on the origin of setting out for fishing and where they operate.
“This work is on in all the 44 villages”, he said.
Kumari fishermen call off stir, some fishers to continue
Fishermen's agitations demanding that the State Chief Minister visit the cyclone affected areas of Kanyakumari district were withdrawn late on Wednesday evening.
This was announced here by Fr Churchill after the Chief Minister Mr. Edappadi K. Palaniswami, declared to fulfill all the demands of the suffering fishermen. The top priest asked the fisher-folks to wind up all the agitations that were on for the last five days since December 7.
A section of the irate fishermen, however, who tried to picket the Catholic priest’s car later in the evening, said their agitation would continue “until the last missing fisherman is saved.”
