Demo for undelayed dredging operations at fishing harbour

: Members of Puducherry State Mechanised Boat Owners Association staged a demonstration at the Head Post office here today, seeking un-delayed desilting of the estuary off the fishing harbour in Thengaithittu coastal village.
Association President K Baskar, who led the agitation, said there had been no dredging of the estuary and sand accumulation had dislocated the fishing operations.
The activists said the machine used by Dredging Corporation of India had gone out of order within days and no work was being carried out now, resulting in continued hardship for the fishermen.
Around 1,000 fishermen in Thengaithittu coastal village were bereft of work, they said.

The protesters demanded that the government ensure that fishermen are given cash relief for all days of loss of work as they could not navigate fishing vessels due to sand mounds blocking the estuary. They also wanted permanent arrangement to desilt the estuary.
The dredging was done in the past through private players.
The Lt Governor had intervened and directed that the work be done only by Dredging Corporation of India.