JOIN USRain continued to lash Dakshina Kannada on Saturday and the Indian Coast Guard (ICG) has stepped up its efforts in rescue operation in the wake of Cyclone Kyarr.
Coast Guard Commander S S Dasila has said that one Coast Guard aircraft has been deployed at the Coast Guard Air Enclave to strengthen the search operation.
“The Dornier aircraft is undertaking frequent sorties looking for stranded fishing boats. The Coast Guard ships operating at sea are being relayed information on the positions of such fishing boats,” he added.
Dasila said that the ICG had been coordinating with the Fisheries department of various states to confirm that no fishing boat was operating at sea. “Additionally, ICG ships and aircrafts are monitoring the sea for fishing boats. The Coast Guard is in contact with the three coastal district authorities of the state and the Fisheries Department,” the commander said.
He said that 10 ICG ships had been deployed to locate the fishing boats and providing assistance to stranded fishermen in the affected areas along the coast. More than 2,100 boats of various states that had been stranded mid-sea due to turbulence in the waters. The proactive efforts of the ICG units have resulted in rescue of such boats, said Dasila.
“As of now, approximately 700 fishing boats, from especially Kerala, Maharashtra and Tamil Nadu, have taken shelter at Karwar, Udupi and the New Mangalore Port. Over 500 boats of Gujarat and 80 boats of Kerala have taken shelter in Maharashtra. The Cyclone Kyarr had taken a turn towards Oman Coast without hitting the Indian coast,” he stated.
The asbestos sheet of a house belonging to Chomy was damaged in the gusty wind at the Palike in Ichampady in Puttur. Trees and electricity poles were uprooted at Parimogaru near Polali.
A tree fell and damaged Seethalakshmi Shetty’s house at Meginamane in Moodushedde. Seraje Lobo suffered injuries as a tree crashed on a house in Vittal Kasaba.
The sea remained rough at Someshwara. The waves continued to lash the shore, an eyewitness said.
18 fishermen rescued
Coast Guard staff rescued 18 fishermen aboard Raj Kiran and Maheel boats stranded in the turbulent sea on the border of Karwar and Goa.
When informed about the fishermen in distress, District In-charge Minister Kota Srinivas Poojari spoke to the deputy commissioner of Uttara Kannada. Chief Secretary Vijay Bhaskar spoke to his counterpart in Goa, to prevent the fishermen from facing any hardships. All the rescued fishermen were escorted to Malpe and Mangaluru.
Coast Guard Commander Dasila said that nine fishermen on Maheel from Mangaluru were stranded 25 nautical miles off Devgadgudda since Friday evening.