Reliance Foundation is supporting a coordinated operation to pull free 186 fishing boats left stranded by Cyclone Arnab at two landing centres in Dr B R Ambedkar Konaseema district of Andhra Pradesh, an effort it says is aimed at restoring the livelihoods of fishing communities.
A preliminary assessment at the Odalarevu and Sakhinetipalli landing centres in Allavaram mandal put the number of affected vessels at 186, described in the announcement as more than 180. Severe weather tore the boats from their moorings and left them trapped in canals, mudflats and adjoining landing areas.
Several vessels were lodged in accumulated mud or lay partially and fully submerged, and some were heaped on top of one another. Boats weighing about five to ten tonnes are sitting in areas marked by mud build-up, unstable ground and restricted access, conditions the organisation said render manual recovery difficult and possibly unsafe.
The foundation said its teams carried out the assessment and opted for a mechanical retrieval intervention under what it calls its We Care commitment, intervening in real time. Lifting equipment and crane operators will work inside a controlled area, with the operation planned around specialised machinery and adherence to safety standards.
Boats will be identified along with members of the local fishing community, their locations confirmed, and then recovered or repositioned in a planned sequence. The foundation is working with the Department of Fisheries and government authorities in Allavaram mandal on the exercise.
The organisation said the intervention would directly and indirectly affect the livelihoods of around 10,000 people in the fishing community. It expects to recover and reposition boats that owners have identified and that are clearly visible for retrieval, cut the risk of further damage while vessels remain trapped, let owners assess what repairs are needed, and help households resume fishing once repairs and other conditions allow.
Cyclone Arnab left destruction along India's eastern coast and damaged the earnings of thousands in the region, with fishing communities at the two landing centres badly hit after much of their fleet was put out of action.
The foundation said it has responded to communities during disasters across the country and will continue need-based interventions for relief, response and recovery.
(With inputs from media reports)