The Colva coast that was battered by the cyclone, destroying the fishermen’s huts and dry fish.
Photo Credits: Santosh Mirajkar
MARGAO
Cyclone Tauktae has hit these Colva-based traditional fishermen where it hit them the most – their livelihood.
A visit to this Salcete coastal village shows the trail of destruction left behind by the cyclone on Sunday, not only causing soil erosion, but damaging the fishermen huts, dry fish and raw material such as alt stored in the huts.
The traditional fishermen work for months to dry fish so that the fish is ready for sale in May-June around the time when Goans celebrate the Purumentachem fest by making provision for the monsoons.
If some of the lady fishermen from Colva are to be believed, they have sustained losses as their huts were left damaged and the dry fish soaked in the rain water.
Liberata Fernandes told The Goan that the cyclonic winds have left damaged our traditional huts, which were being used to store dry fish, salt and other material. “This is perhaps the first time we have seen a cyclone of such intensify battering the coast”, Liberata pointed out.
Claiming that dry fish stored in the huts were exposed to rains after the roof and the very thatched structures came crashing down, Liberata hoped that the government will come to their rescue and compensate them for the losses.
Another fisher women claimed that salt stacked in a hut worth around Rs one lakh has been totally destroyed by the rain water. “After the hut was damaged, rain water has seeped inside, leaving the salt into salt water. I was at home when strong winds lashed the coast on Sunday. We work for months together to prepare the dry fish near the beach, but the stock is sold before the onset of monsoon when people stock good items for the rainy season”, she added.
Another fisherman, Lawrence Piedade Fernandes said one of the huts was damaged after two coconut trees came crashing down. He said the hut, which was put in place by the elders decades ago has been brought to the ground by the cyclonic winds. “The repair work will cost huge money. These huts were used to dry fish and also stock the fish”, he added.
