The Kerala government today sounded an alert along its coast in view of a well marked low pressure over the Indian Ocean, asking officials to ensure return of fishermen engaged in deep-sea fishing. The decision to issue the alert was taken at a meeting chaired by Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan here, an official release said. The low pressure was likely to intensify into a depression, the Met office said. The state government alert comes in the backdrop of Ochki cyclone that hit the coasts of the state, neighbouring Tamil Nadu and union territory of Lakshadweep in November-December last year, claiming the lives of several fishermen and leaving many missing. The Kerala government had then faced the ire of fishermen community over the handling of the situation.
The BJP had also accused the LDF government of failure to protect its fishermen "despite early warning" about the cyclone. The meeting today expressed satisfaction over the steps taken so far to face any situation in the event of any disaster, a release from the Chief Minister's Office said. Vijayan directed the concerned authorities to ensure that fishermen from deep sea were brought back to shore. Officials said services of the Navy and Coast Guard had been sought to bring back the fishermen from deep sea. According to the India Meteorological department, yesterdays low pressure area over equatorial Indian Ocean and adjoining southwest Bay of Bengal and south Sri Lanka coast now lies as a well marked low pressure area over Equatorial Indian Ocean and adjoining south Sri Lanka and Maldives-Comorin area. It is very likely to move initially west-northwestwards and then northwestwards and concentrate into a depression over the southeast Arabian Sea (Maldives area) during the next 36 hours.
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