Kerala Labour Minister V Sivankutty says Opposition making up conspiracy to create conflict in coastal village Muthalapozhi – Kerala News
Kerala’s Labour Minister V Sivankutty criticised the Opposition for triggering a conspiracy with the intention to create conflict in the fishing hamlet of Muthalapozhi in Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala.
“There is a conspiracy by the opposition to create tension in connection with fishing in Muthalapozhi. There are planned moves being made to mislead the fishermen,” he said on Monday.
The Minister dismissed the Youth Congress’s plan to march to CPI MLA V Sasi’s office as “utter nonsense.” He said sand removal at Muthalapozhi is already underway using available dredgers and earth-movers.
Muthalapozhi has been seeing protests by fishermen and trade unions, who are upset about the blocked estuary (where the river meets the sea), caused by sand piling up. This blockage has made fishing dangerous and difficult, threatening their livelihood, the fishermen claimed.
The protesters, on Thursday, blocked the Kerala government’s move to cut the sandbar, saying past dredging has been ineffective, and the problem keeps returning. According to them, the accumulated sand has made fishing risky, with boats getting damaged or capsized, and Muthalapozhi has seen several fishing accidents over time. They want a permanent, effective solution, not just temporary fixes.
Sivankutty, however, said the decision to remove the sand from Muthalapozhi was taken at a recent ministerial meeting, to avoid a situation where accumulated sand was hampering fishing.
He also claimed that a large dredger from Kannur would reach the region via sea by Thursday. “If the sandbar is not cut, there is a possibility of flooding in four or five panchayats below sea level,” he reportedly stated. “So, there is an immediate need to cut the sandbar, acting against this is anti-people,” Sivankutty further explained.
He also said that the central government has already approved the Rs 177 crore port development project, adding that the related tender procedures are progressing.
