Cyclone Murasu hit Gundamala village, damaging 143 out of 164 fishing boats, pretty much the backbone of local life here.
The fiber boats belonging to the local fishermen were moored amid the mangrove forests, where seawater meets a small stretch of Buckingham Canal, and strong winds and heavy rain left them tangled up and unusable.
Earthmovers hamper retrieval, operators charge ₹10,000/₹6,000
Getting these boats back isn't easy. Earth-moving machines brought in for electric poles are now causing delay in the fishermen's efforts to retrieve the boats.
On top of that, operators are charging steep fees: ₹10,000 for big boats and ₹6,000 for smaller ones, which is tough on Gundamala's approximately 450 fishermen.
The Fisheries Department still hasn't figured out the total loss yet, leaving families waiting and worried about what comes next.