Bhubaneswar: The Ganjam district administration has provided shelter to over 100 fishermen from neighbouring Andhra Pradesh who were stranded in the deep sea due to the impending cyclonic storm Montha.
According to reports, the fishermen, who were operating 28 fishing trawlers, took shelter in the Gopalpur port after the district administration intervened.
According to Ganjam Collector V Keerthi Vasan, the fishermen will be sent back to their home state once the situation normalizes.
The fishermen had ventured into the sea despite a warning from the government about the cyclonic storm. The district administration has expressed concern over their decision to ignore the warning. Due to the rough sea conditions caused by the cyclone brewing over the Bay of Bengal, the fishermen were unable to return to their home state, said sources.
This is not the first time the Ganjam district administration has provided assistance to stranded fishermen. In 2021, the administration had given temporary rehabilitation to over 200 Andhra Pradesh fishermen during the cyclonic storm ‘Gulab’.
Meanwhile, all local fishermen who were at sea have returned to their villages.
It is learnt that the cyclone ‘Montha’ is expected to make landfall near Kakinada in Andhra Pradesh during the evening or night of October 28.
