Defying COVID-19 norms against mass gathering, a large number of villagers from in and around Tiruvadavur near Madurai participated in a fishing festival on Friday late evening.
After the village tank filled up a few months back following good rains, the villagers had introduced fishlings into the tank. Now that the fish were big enough, men, women and children joined in the fishing festival to catch them.
Some used fishing nets and others used saris or dhotis and caught catla (carp), kendai (rohu), kezhuthi (cat fish), viraal (murrel) and others.
In Sivaganga district, hundreds of people from Iraniyur, Kallapettai, Nallur, Pappathi Oorani and other hamlets took part in the fishing festival at Pillamangalam Big Tank at Keezhaseevalpatti near Tirupattur on Friday late evening.
Though these traditional fishing festivals have been banned to prevent mass gathering which could lead to the spread of COVID-19, the villagers did not pay heed to the government directive and caught fish over three hours.
Though meat and fish markets should remain shut across the State on both the days of the weekend, many people were engaged in selling the catch.
On hearing about the gathering in Tiruvadavur, police rushed there and dispersed the people.