CPI(M) demands intensified search for six missing fishermen

The Communist Party of India (Marxist) has urged the Andhra Pradesh government to intensify search operations for the six fishermen who went missing off the Visakhapatnam coast and extend immediate assistance to their families.

In a statement issued on Tuesday, CPI(M) State secretary V. Srinivasa Rao expressed solidarity with the families of the missing fishermen, saying they had been anxiously waiting on the shore since the incident and deserved all possible support from the government.

Mr. Rao said seven fishermen were on board a mechanised fishing boat that capsized in rough seas about 14 nautical miles off the Gangavaram coast on July 4. While the boat owner and driver, Kari Chinna, survived after being rescued by the crew of a Chinese-Panamanian merchant vessel bound for Kakinada Port, the remaining six fishermen are still missing.

Alleging shortcomings in the rescue response, Mr. Rao said inadequate personnel and a shortage of modern rescue craft with the Coast Guard had hampered efforts to rescue the fishermen in time.

He also claimed that GPS devices distributed to fishing boats by the State government last year were not functioning properly. According to him, the poor-quality equipment deprived fishermen of timely weather alerts that could have enabled them to return to shore before sea conditions deteriorated.

Noting that Andhra Pradesh has a coastline of about 1,005 km, Mr. Rao alleged that the government had been giving greater importance to facilitating corporate projects along the coast than to ensuring the safety and welfare of fishing communities. He demanded comprehensive marine safety measures for fishermen across the State.

Calling upon the government to step up search operations, Mr. Rao said five of the missing fishermen belong to Mukkam village in Bhogapuram mandal of Vizianagaram district, while the sixth is from Pedanagamayyapalem village in Bheemunipatnam mandal of Visakhapatnam district.

He urged the government to continue intensive search and rescue operations until all the missing fishermen are traced and to provide every possible assistance to their families.