Rs 1.6 crore sanctioned to desilt Thengapattanam harbour

KANYAKUMARI: The Tamil Nadu fisheries department has allotted Rs 1.6 crore to clear 64,440 cubic metre of silt from the Thengapattanam fishing harbour, following the demands of Kanyakumari fisherfolk.
This decision was taken following protests after the rough seas at the harbour claimed the lives of three fishermen and damaged 12 motorized fishing boats, since the end of July.
The harbour, which serves as the main landing centre for over 500 mechanised deep sea fishing boats and 300 motorised fibre boats, was constructed at Rs 97.4 crore in May 2019.
Fisheries department officials said the harbour has an 800-meter--long channel from the inner harbour towards the sea and its width ranges from 250 to 150 meters, while its entrance towards the sea is 90-metre-wide.
The accumulation of silt in the harbour claimed three lives - Antony (68) of Mulloorthurai on July 23, Shibu (25) of Marthandanthurai on July 24 and Ignatius of the same village on August 7.
Officials in the fisheries engineering department had initially sent a proposal to dredge the harbour at Rs 3 crore. However, they have been provided only Rs. 1.6 crore owing to financial constraints caused by Covid-19. They have been advised to carry out the work on war footing to avert further loss to life and property. The dredger will be brought from Nagapattinam and it would take 60 to 75 days to complete dredging from the date of commencement.
An official said the dredging would be affected when the water is rough. He added that the focus will be on desilting the traffic area of boats and the nearby areas as it is carried out on an emergency basis.