Relief to fishermen with opening of sea mouths

Nellore: Finally, the state government has earmarked Rs 48 crore for opening sea mouths in the Pulicat Lake area for convenience of the fishermen and also for free flow of water into the lake. Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu has directed the officials to take up works engaging Irrigation department on war-foot basis.

Highlights:

• CM agrees to sanction Rs 48 crore for taking up works
• Works were entrusted to the Irrigation dept

In fact, closed sea mouths at Pulicat Lake area have been major barrier for occupational activity of local fishermen. The desilting of the mouths was not being done periodically due to lack of coordination between SHAR authorities and local fishing communities for many years. The 18,440-hectare Pulicat lagoon is the second largest brackish water lagoon in the country.

At the southern end, it opens into the Bay of Bengal and the lagoon opens into the sea through a comparatively narrow mouth. Officials say there are 3 sea mouths at Tupilipalem, Pudirayadoruvu in Vakadu mandal of Nellore district and at Pulicat village in Tamil Nadu, which is popularly known as Pazhaverkadu and is gradually closing with sand bar formation due to blow of north bound wind.

The sea mouths of the lake are not only a way but also a bio-corridor for migration of huge fishes, and others after breeding in brackish water lake and vice versa. The silt deposited in the lake has been creating many problems to the fishing community, who rely on it. The Buckingham Canal, which runs parallel to the lake and the Swarnamukhi, the Kalangi, the Araniar and the Royyala Kalava open into the shallow lake.

Thousands of farmers and workers living in the lake region started fishing in the lake, particularly after the Tsunami in December 2004, who have been feeling difficulty for livelihood with closed mouths and inadequate water flow into the lake system.

National Institute of Ocean Technology also recommended to open north mouth near Rayadoruvu village in Vakadu mandal to improve water flow in the northern part of the lake and construction of two training walls to prevent closure of the sea mouth. The opening of new mouth at Pulinjery Kuppam for a width around 300 metres to facilitate maximum water flow through entire region of Pulicat Lake covering both Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh.

Union Minister of State for Science & Technology and Earth Sciences YS Chowdary said in last April that they would consider construction of Dugarajapatnam Port and improvement of Pulicat Lake. But, the assurance has practically been ignored.

The proposal to desilt the lake and open the sea mouths comes up during the Flamingo festival every year but it will be put in cold storage. Finally, the state government took a decision with repeated requests from the Ministers on the plight of the fishermen, the Chief Minister asked the officials to deploy Irrigation department to take up works.