HYDERABAD: With all roads closed and inter-state borders shut due to the extended lockdown, hundreds of desperate fishermen from Srikakulam district in Andhra Pradesh and Odisha, stranded in Tamil Nadu , are now hitting the sea to reach their native places.While three groups of fishermen have already reached their destinations having travelled around 500 nautical miles in the Bay of Bengal, 83 fishermen, who set sail from Chennai, could not make it owing to rough weather and drifted towards Edurumondi island in Andhra Pradesh’s Krishna district. But, what made matters worse for them was local villagers refusing to allow them to step out of their vessels over fears of contracting Covid-19.Nagayalanka police came to the island, convinced the locals and shifted the fishermen to Hamsaladivi quarantine centre. Nagayalanka SI Challa Krishna told TOI, “All the fisherfolk belong to three to four mandals in Srikakulam.”The SI said they had travelled to Chennai on a train from Srikakulam a few weeks before the lockdown was announced. “They stay in TN for twothree months and come back. But, due to the lockdown, they had no work and took to sea route to reach home,” he said.Some of the family members back in Srikakulam transferred money online to them so that they could buy some boats.On Monday, local police detained some of the fishermen.SI K Lakshmi said the fishermen were booked for violating lockdown norms. “We have shifted them to a government school for quarantine,” she said.Meanwhile, three fishermen arrived at Kaviti in Andhra Pradesh. They set out on April 22 from Chennai and reached on Monday. Around 30 fishermen from Odisha, who bought a boat for Rs 1.8 lakh, also arrived at an Odisha port.