Tension grips Konapapapeta at Kakinada Coast as fishermen attempt suicide

KAKINADA: Tension prevailed at Konapapapet in U.Kothapalli mandal of Kakinada district as the fishermen burnt a boat on Friday. Two fishermen attempted to end their life by dousing themselves in petrol. However, the other fishermen aborted their attempt.

The fishermen demanded that the government should prevent release of industrial waste water from being dumped into the sea as it was getting polluted. They blocked the road between Kakinada-Addaripeta bringing the traffic to a standstill.

The Aurobindo company laid a pipeline for desalination of sea water, converting it to pure water for industrial workers near Lakshmanapeta near Perumallapuram in Thondangi mandal. The company is constructing a green field port near Perumallapuram and the water is being supplied to the workers. 

The fishermen alleged that some of the industries were discharging waste water into the sea and that it would lead to depreciation of fish in the sea, which had already reduced drastically in the recent past. The fishermen said that Divis which was constructing its unit in KSEZ was polluting the waters. They feared that Aurobindo would also join it in the near future.

The government had assured the people in the surrounding villages that the polluted water would not be discharged into the sea but it is being let out at Nakkapalli area, 40 kilometres from KSEZ near Perumallapuram. The fishermen expressed anxiety over more pollution to the seawater due to the pharma units.