Cyclone Ockhi: Kerala machinery is ineffective, feels church

Thiruvananthapuram: The Latin Catholic Church has alleged apathy on the part of the government in rescuing fishermen who went missing following the Ockhi cyclone and warned of an agitation if the situation did not improve. The Thiruvananthapuram Diocese of the Church has also urged the central government to declare it as a national disaster. The church also demanded that the search limit be extended to 70 nautical miles from the current 40 nautical miles.

The church has issued an ultimatum to the government to deploy all efforts at its command to rescue the missing fishermen. The government failed to locate more than 130 people who were missing, the Vicar-General of the Thiruvananthapuram Archdiocese Fr Eugene H. Pereira told DC, adding that so far government machinery had been ineffective. Many people from Vizhinjam have set out into the sea for rescue operations on their own. People from Poonthura were also willing for such an operation. However, they did not go as officials warned of dangers, said Fr Pereira said.

The locals have been demanding that the government involve them in rescue operations. Fishermen from Kollam have ventured into search operations on their own alleging that the ongoing search operations were not effective. Friends and relatives of four fishermen who went out fishing on Thursday in a boat called Velankanni from Moothakara in Kollam have not returned.