Officials allay fears of fishermen over buoys in sea off Ramanathapuram
Agitated fishermen in Ramanathapuram district, who had recently laid siege to the Forest department office there demanding to scrap any project pertaining to float buoys in the sea, have now been allayed of their fears, sources said.
By : migrator
Update: 2019-05-30 20:41 GMT
Madurai
Raising objections to float buoys in the sea claiming that such activity would affect their livelihood, the fishermen of Chinnapalam and Kunthukal in Ramanathapuram had besieged the Forest department office there.
The fishermen have, however, now been convinced that the project under eco-tourism development of the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change was aimed at generating livelihood opportunities for the local fishers, sources in the Forest department said.
Initially, Kurusadai, one of the 21 islands in the Gulf of Mannar, had been identified under the project to float buoys. It was designed to float a total of 26 buoys to demarcate the tourism zone.
The move to float buoys would never affect fishing and fishermen need not be worried over this, sources said.
A team from the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) would also be involved in the project.
Moreover, three boats had been purchased to promote eco-tourism and tourists can have access to this island with all safety measures, according to sources.
According to Ramanathapuram regional deputy director E Kathavarayan, the department has allayed the apprehensions of fishermen after a meeting was convened with them by the Forest department.
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