Posted on May 19, 2025
Conflict erupted after dredger brought from Azheekal encountered issues & halted dredging
THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Tension escalated at Muthalapozhi as local fishermen locked horns with the police and the Harbour Engineering Department over the inaction of the state government in removing the accumulated sand from the Muthalapozhi Harbour mouth in Thiruvananthapuram on Friday.
The conflict erupted on Friday morning after the dredger brought from Azheekal encountered issues and halted dredging activities at Muthalapozhi Harbour mouth.
The fishermen had been on a warpath following the closure of the harbour mouth owing to accumulation of sand, and inadequate dredging activities. The local fishermen staged a blockade on the coastal highway disrupting vehicular movement for hours.
A group of fishermen protested in front of the harbour engineering department office and cooked gruel in a makeshift hearth. The protest turned violent when one of the protesters broke the glass window of the harbour department office. Later the police took one of the protesters into custody.
Binu Peter, a local fisherman who took part in the protest, said that it has been 22 days since the dredger was brought from Azheekal and after repeated protests, the harbour engineering department assured to remove the accumulated sand and make the harbour mouth navigable before May 15 to ensure smooth fishing during the monsoon.
However, the dredger encountered repeated glitches failing to remove the accumulated sand as per the deadline triggering the protest. “In the past 22 days, they could operate the dredger only for nine hours and they have been fooling us for so many years. Our livelihoods are hit and our families are in poverty. Many fishermen are going to Kollam for fishing activities,” said Binu Peter.
District president of the Kerala Swathanthra Matsya Thozhilali Federation Valerian Issac said that the harbour department was returning the excavator because of non-payment of rent and this triggered the protest.
“Effective dredging activities are not happening and the monsoon season is fast approaching and the fishermen are in a lot of uncertainty. They will not back off from the protest without the harbour mouth being opened,” he said.
After negotiations, the harbour engineering department has promised to cut open the breakwater and remove the accumulated sand by Tuesday. However, the protest continued late into the night demanding the withdrawal of the police case against one of the protestors.
