PERNEM: Local fishing community of Vitthaldas wada Morjim has taken an initiative to construct a concrete wall to protect their fishing boats and to safeguard the beach from encroachment by outsider.
After the Vaingunim issue, another video and photos have been going viral for last two days on social media in which a wall can be seen under construction on the beach of Morjim.
When herald team visited the spot, it was learnt that the local fishing community have constructed this wall by spending their own money to safeguard their fishing boats and huts from getting damaged.
They claim that they had to take this decision and act upon it soon as their boats and houses and fishing equipment suffered heavy damage in Cyclone Tauktae.
The fishermen said that they had submitted a file to Water Resource Department in year 2017 seeking concrete protection wall to safeguard the fishing community in this area.
They revealed that they had a protection wall, but was made of stones and got washed off washed off during the recent cyclone. Around 500 to 600 people from this locality are directly involved in the fishing activity and many more dependent on this business for their livelihood.
They claimed that hoteliers have carried out concrete construction including compound wall leaving no space for local people or the fishing community to get their boats directly on the beach.
“After the cyclone, none of the authorities bothered to visit here and check the status. We somehow managed to save our livelihood. We took this step to protect our livelihood and this isn’t for any hotel project” a local Fisherman said.
“This step is taken by the local fishing community who are inhabitants to safeguard thier fishing activity. There was existing protection was here but it washed off during the Tauktae cyclone. There is already file in the WRD where we have asked for concrete protection wall but we don’t know why it is still not processed. Even the local MLA is aware of the same. Also if goverment wakes up and takes action then they should take action and clear everything that is within the HTL since if local community do not save then outsiders will encroch”, Local Panch Member Vilas Morje said.
