Barely a month ago, Suresh Panduli, 48, and his partner, Laxman Khikuti, 50, from Arnala had bought a second-hand fishing boat for Rs 6.10 lakh and spent Rs 32 lakh repairing it. On Monday, the vessel was destroyed by Cyclone Tauktae. The duo is among the many fishermen who lost their vessels in the cyclone. While the government has pegged losses at over Rs 78 lakh, fishermen say the amount is much higher. Their boat Bhola Shankar had been anchored at Arnala beach. Around 4.30 pm, the boat’s anchor rope snapped and it started drifting haphazardly. “We thought we would be able to sail it out of the rough sea. I started the engine but soon I lost control over its steering,” Panduli said.]
A propellor from Francis Dedu’s boat, Moshe; (right) Suresh Panduli and Laxman KhikutiA propellor from Francis Dedu’s boat, Moshe; (right) Suresh Panduli and Laxman Khikuti
When the duo realised that the boat cannot be saved, they jumped into the sea. “We tied ropes around our waists with their ends connected to two buoys and jumped into the sea around 4.45 pm leaving our boat to sink. We both were also connected by a rope and would often pull each other if we drifted apart,” said Panduli.
The duo swam for over four hours and reached Advan village. Around 9 pm, they reached Usnani village where the locals gave them first aid and helped them contact their families.
“We have lost everything. Nothing is saved. We have incurred a loss of Rs 45 lakh. We were already incurring losses due to the lockdown and this cyclone has ruined us completely,” said Panduli.
Comment here