Residents hold protest march towards Kerala assembly over fishermen deaths at Muthalapozhi

Thiruvananthapuram: Frequent accidents and resultant deaths at Muthalapozhi , where the sea meets a river and a lake, prompted the residents of the coastal area on Thursday to hold a protest march towards the state assembly carrying a coffin.

Muthalapozhi at Perumathura is a place where the Vamanapuram river and Kadinamkulam lake meet the Arabian Sea and has become a death trap for fishermen while going to sea and also when returning to shore.

The protestors, led by the Kerala Latin Catholic Association (KLCA), marched from Palayam here to the Assembly, but the police set up barricades to prevent them from getting close to the state legislature. They then placed the symbolic coffin before the barricades and shouted slogans against the government.

They cited the death of a fisherman during the wee hours of the day while returning to shore after fishing.

They also cited a second accident, in which no lives were lost, that occurred at Muthalapozhi during the day and said that despite the state government being informed again and again that the area was a death trap, nothing was being done.

The protestors claimed that last year, after the death of four fishermen at Muthalapozhi, the state government had promised to fulfil several demands of fishermen and residents of the coastal area.

"More than a year has gone by, but the government has not fulfilled even one of the promises," they alleged.

Last year, the state government said that to prevent accidents, the Adani Group -- with which the government has a contract to dredge the fishing harbour area -- would be asked to increase the depth of the channel and basin, as provided under the agreement, by removing rocks and sand deposited there.

It had also said that a permanent mechanism will be put in place to prevent sand deposition in the approach channel to the harbour.

The other promises made by the government were building homes for those who do not have houses, creating a source of livelihood for them and exploring how to waive off the loans the families had taken and are yet to be paid off.