kolkata: In a bid to check repeated incidents of trawler mishaps in South 24-Parganas that had resulted in the deaths of many fishermen, the district administration will be providing Distress Alert Transmitter (DAT) machines to all trawlers for instant detection of any mishap.
"In case of any mishap, the DAT machines will transmit instant signal to Chennai and accordingly the Coast Guard will be informed for immediate response. We will be providing this machine to all the trawlers that venture into the deep sea and repair the old ones that have become defunct,"state Fisheries minister Akhil Giri said.
A high-level meeting was held in the New Administrative Building at Alipore on Wednesday to chalk out priorities to curb such incidents of trawler capsize in South 24-Parganas. State Fisheries minister Akhil Giri, Sunderbans Development minister Bankim Hazra, District Magistrate P. Ulaganathan, representatives from United Fishermen's Associations, Coast Guard and police were present.
According to sources in the past five years, about 35 boats that had sailed from South 24-Parganas capsized killing 125 fishermen. During the same time, the corresponding figure of boat accidents in East Midnapore is five and nine people had lost their lives.
The stakeholders believe that there is an urgent need of training for the trawler operators which the state Fisheries department will be starting soon. "The fitness of the boats or trawlers will be examined thoroughly before they venture into the sea,"added Giri. It has been decided that life jackets will be provided to all fishermen.