Don't blame us for Pamban bridge pillar damage, say Rameswaram fishermen

MADURAI: Many fishermen have sought action against the Highways Department and a contractor of the Pamban road bridge, which recently witnessed a small portion of damage on one of its pillars, over blaming fishermen for the cause of damage.

Senathipathi Chinnathambi, president of the National Traditional Fishermen Federation, on Wednesday, said, "The Highways official, while explaining the cause of the damage on the pillar, informed that it could have occurred due to a hit by a fishing boat. It is absolutely wrong. Fishing fleet cannot sail close to any pillar of the bridge."

He argued that the blame was shifted to fishermen only to conceal irregularities in maintenance works that were executed on the bridge for Rs 22 crore last year.

Citing these reasons, Senathipathi wondered why the authorities blamed the fishermen for such damage and condemned the statement. He requested the government not to allow vehicles hauling excessive weight through the Pamban Road bridge and to restrict any vehicle carrying over 20 tonnes of weight.

S Emarit, president of the Rameswaram All Mechanized Boats Fishermen Association, said trawlers could not pass through the pillar because of its rocky surface. The authorities should inspect the bridge and check its structural stability to ensure safety.

He added that the long pending demands for constructing breakwater in Rameswaram and Pamban have not been met. The fishing fleet remains anchored in the jetty, and especially at times of rough weather at sea, boats could suffer damage without a breakwater facility, he said.