Cong leaders visit coastal town: 200 boats damaged, Jafrabad fishermen count their losses

While majority of fishermen were busy setting their boats and fishing gears right, a few could show the two Congress leaders only wreckage of their boats.

As more roads were restored in Amreli district on Wednesday, Paresh Dhanani, leader of Opposition, and fellow Congress MLA Ambarish Der visited Jafrabad, the coastal town near Una, where the extremely severe cyclone Tauktae had made landfall on intervening night of Monday and Tuesday. While majority of fishermen were busy setting their boats and fishing gears right, a few could show the two Congress leaders only wreckage of their boats.

As Danani and Der arrived, they were led near the bridge across the Jafrabad harbour. Around a dozen boats were trapped under the bridge, many of them having been overturned. Seven other boats lay on the other side the bridge after cyclone Tauktae pushed them through the bridge structure while making landfall, fishermen told the visitors.

Scenes were worse behind the Kharva Samaj crematorium. Near a few barges, tugs and a huge dredger lay wreckage of few fishing trawlers. “This engine is the only trace of my fishing boat. For me, everything is destroyed. Hanging myself is the only option for me now,” Ismile Napali (58) told Dhanani as the latter inspected wreckage of the fishing boat Al Faiz.

Dhanani comforted the fisherman: “Don’t be disheartened. Together, we will do something. We will fight for some relief.”

“I had borrowed Rs2 lakh to repair my boat. But now the boat is gone and with it, the source of our livelihood. These barges, tugs and dredgers broke my boat into three,” Napali later told The Indian Express.

Kanaiyala Solanki, president of Kharva Samaj Macchimar Boat Association said of around 700 fishing boats, 200 have been damaged while eight to 10 were untraceable. “Of the 200 boats, 150 are total loss while 50 are repairable. The loss to fishermen of Jafrabad is around Rs300 crore,” Solanki said, adding at least three fishermen died during the storm.

Bhavesh Baraiya (30) and his elder brother Mahesh were furious while pointing to a tug blocking access to their wrecked fishing trawler Jamnaprasad.

“These barges, tugs and dredgers were anchored in the mouth of the harbour. But they shouldn’t have been there given trouble was expected due to the cyclone,” said Mahesh.

Solanki said that fishermen from Shiyal Bet were the worst affected. “The Lal Batti part of the harbour where they anchor their boats faces the open sea and are therefore exposed to violent winds and tidal waves. Of their 150 boats, around 100 have been damaged,” said Solanki, adding, “It will take up to 10 years for Jafrabad fishermen to recover.”

Meanwhile, dozens of fishermen came to Solanki complaining theft of equipment. “People who are not fishermen are stealing batteries, inverters etc from unattended boats. We will file police complaint about this,” said Solanki, while telling the fishermen that the Prime Minister had made aerial survey of Jafrabad and that he expects government to compensate fishermen. While Dhanani represent Amreli constituency, Der is sitting MLA from Rajula which comprises Jafrabad.

“Jafrabad is known by Bombay Duck fish which is eaten after sun-drying. Every august, our catch is damaged by rain while being sun-dried. Government never pays us any compensation though agriculturalists get compensated against crop loss. We are also sagakhedu, farmers who earn their living by fishing. If the government doesn’t compensate our losses incurred on account of the cyclone, we shall stop participating in election,” Bhavesh further said.

Meanwhile, residents said Jafrabad municipality has not distributed water over the past three days. “Thankfully, there is potable water in a well on agricultural field of Kana Ata and a diesel pump to pump water out of that well,” said Fazal Kadri, a fisherman who has been volunteering to supply water to residents of Jafrabad.

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