Fishermen list long-standing woes ahead of local polls in Kozhikode district

With the campaign for the local body elections heating up, fishermen’s families in Kozhikode district have placed the revision of the State government’s ‘Punargeham’ relocation project again at the centre of their demands.

Fishermen staying close to coastlines said they were badly in need of an affordable housing scheme with the increasing incidents of sea erosion, as the existing ‘Punargeham’ project remained largely impractical owing to inadequate financial assistance and rigid conditions that failed to consider the realities of harbour-based livelihoods.

“What we need is a practically possible rehabilitation scheme that ensures safe living within our own coastal areas, not a plan that shifts the entire community to unfamiliar locations. The government has enough land close to the shore, and it should be used for rehabilitation,” said N.V. Raheem, a fisherman from Nainamvalappu. He pointed out that several private investors were occupying the beach land for housing projects at a time when the fishermen were forced to leave the place in the name of rehabilitation.

Upgrading of basic amenities in local fishing harbours is also being projected as a priority area by various families of fishermen. They argued that the waste treatment systems in most harbours remained inadequate, leaving the surroundings unhygienic and exposing workers to frequent skin ailments.

“The Vellayil harbour continues to be the worst example. Fishers here have been suffering for years owing to the lack of scientific waste treatment facilities. Despite meeting officials of the Fisheries department and local administrators, there has been no proposal to address the issue,” said Irfan Habeeb, a fisherman activist from the area. He believes that the situation is unlikely to improve unless representatives of fishing families are elected.

The absence of a fully equipped boat-repairing yard in Kozhikode remains another long-standing grievance. Boat owners say they are forced to spend heavily on repairs at facilities in Kochi. Although a maintenance yard was promised at the Puthiyappa harbour, there has been no progress in the matter, they complain.

“Low quality of fuel is another emerging challenge for boat operators, as it damages the engines very quickly. When we raised the issue with local administrators and Fisheries department officials, they did not even attempt to study the problems,” said a boat owner from Beypore harbour. He claims that several boat owners are forced to purchase premium fuels at higher rates to manage the strange situation. 

Meanwhile, election campaign coordinators from mainstream political parties say they have ensured a fair representation this time for candidates who are directly connected to fishermen communities and understand their concerns. At least five candidates fielded by various political parties within the Kozhikode Corporation limits come from fishing families, they claim.