NFF seeks speedy steps to dredge estuary off fishing harbour

: National Fish Workers Forum has requested the Puducherry government to ensure uninterrupted dredging in the estuary off the fishing harbour in neighbouring Thengaithittu to relieve fishermen of hardships to navigate the accumulated sand mounds there.

Chairman of NFF's Puducherry unit M Ilango said in a release that there had been regular dredging in the past. But there was a sudden change in the assignment of work by the intervention of the Lt Governor in December last year and it was given to Dredging Corporation of India.

There was no regular dredging of the sand as certain snags had developed causing hindrance to continue the work,'he said.

Steps should be taken to ensure that the dredging was continued without any hindrance, he said.

Ilango also demanded that the government provide cash relief of Rs 30,000 per month for the owners of the fishing vessels, fishermen and also workers hit by the setback in dredging operations.

Meanwhile members of the Mechanised Fishing Vessels Owners association today staged a picketing on the busy thoroughfare here, condemning the 'delay' in restoring normal dredging works at the estuary.

Police said around 100 members were taken into custody and released later.

(This article has not been edited by DNA's editorial team and is auto-generated from an agency feed.)