Many say compensation received is insufficient

In 2015, Sebastian V.C., a fisherman from the coastal village of Kattoor in the district, took a loan from a private bank to buy a fishing boat and necessary equipment.

He had paid the monthly instalments till November 2017 when Cyclone Ockhi destroyed his boat.

Now, almost a year after the cyclone, Mr. Sebastian received a loan recovery notice from the bank.

“I co-owned the boat with my father and father-in-law. We lost our livelihood and suffered losses to the tune of ₹15 lakh. We were expecting the government to compensate some of the losses. But nothing has happened so far,” Mr. Sebastian told The Hindu on Wednesday.

Lesser damage

Compared to other districts, Ockhi had caused lesser damage in Alappuzha. In the district, at least 13 fishing boats were destroyed and several others were damaged. Of the boats destroyed, 10 were in Kattoor region.

According to fishermen, a few of them received some compensation, but the amount was insufficient. Some other fishermen who lost boats have been denied compensation without any “valid reasons,” they say.

The fishermen also urged the government to set up infrastructure for anchoring fishing boats safely during natural calamities.

‘Implement promises’

“The government should implement all promises made to the fishermen community following the cyclone. Alappuzha district lacks proper facilities to anchor fishing boats. The government should also expedite the process of constructing the Arthunkal harbour, which will be a major boon to the fishermen in the region,” said Jackson Pollayil, general secretary, Kerala Swathantra Matsya Thozhilali Federation.

The Harbour Engineering Department has proposed to construct the Arthunkal fishing harbour in a scientific manner.

Officials said that the National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (Nabard) had agreed to release ₹15 crore as the first instalment for the construction of the harbour.