John Wilbert &Vikramaditya
Port Blair, Mar 10: Fishermen in Campbell Bay, located in the southernmost tip of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, are facing a severe crisis due to the lone ice plant operated by the Fisheries Department being out of order for the past week. The fishermen are unable to store their catch and are being forced to dispose of it within 24 hours, resulting in significant financial losses.
According to a fisherman, they cannot carry ice blocks in their dinghies to keep their catch fresh nor can they store their catch for selling in the market. The ice plant has been non-operational for nearly 15 days, and five days ago, the plant operator requested the removal of stored fish, stating that the plant was completely un-operational. This has led to fishermen stopping fishing activities due to the lack of storage.
Speaking to Andaman Sheekha over the phone, Mr. Venkat Rao, Govind Nagar Pradhan of the Island, alleged that this is a serious issue, but no one seemed to care about the fishermen’s plight. When contacted, a senior officer of the Fisheries Department, who did not wish to be named, said that two weeks ago, the ice plant developed a gas leak from a cylinder valve, which was unusual. They could not repair it immediately as they had to drain the gas entirely.
The officer further stated that they had received information that the gas pressure was normal two days ago, but the plant was still non-operational. Due to transportation problems in Campbell Bay, they had sent cylinders in advance on March 6, 2023. However, they faced challenges as they could not find spare parts for the valve and had to place an urgent procurement order with a Kolkata-based company. Technicians are expected to reach Campbell Bay on March 12, and repair work is scheduled to start from March 13. In the meantime, spare parts will hopefully arrive, and they plan to send them via helicopter services.
The senior officer assured that the department is doing its best to operate the plant, and the repair work is expected to be completed within a week, making the ice plant functional once again.
