RAMESWARAM: The local police and coastal security police are on their toes in keeping people away from the seashore in this pilgrim island the wake of a high waves and rough seas warning issued by the Indian National Centre for Ocean Information Services (INCOIS) for two days from Saturday along the South Tamil Nadu coast from Ramanathapuram.
The INCOIS had warned that the sea will be rough near shore and also the low lying areas may experience “surges intermittently” from 17-30 hrs of Saturday to 23-30 hours of Sunday (April 22), throwing up tall waves during high tide times. Fishermen and coastal population have been advised to be cautious during this period and not to venture into the sea.
The warning note said that boats may be anchored at a safe distance from each other, to avoid collision and damage, while water-based recreational activities during this period must be suspended. Even taking out boats from the shore to the sea and back should be avoided, the INCOIS said.
In view of this warning, policemen had a difficult time in Rameswaram since Saturday morning in calling upon people through microphones not to get into the sea, even for performing religious rituals at shore points like ‘Agnitheertham’. Pilgrims, many of them from North India who came down to offer oblations and 'pinda pradhanam' to their forefathers were asked to clear the beach area, which did not go down well with the devotees and tourists.
But the policemen said they had to heed the warning sent out through the Ramanathapuram district administration and implement the instructions, adding, they had no choice in the matter. The ‘rough sea alert’ will be in force till Sunday night.
