Local News

Kollam The expert committee appointed by the Collector has recommended that a detailed inspection be conducted in all the raised areas, fields or swamps in the district. Following the accident on the Mylakkad National Highway, the Collector appointed a three-member committee to conduct a detailed inspection in the Mevaram, Parakkulam and Kadavur areas, where similar complaints were received. The inspection was conducted by a team led by the Public Works Department NH Executive Engineer, the Ground Water Department District Officer and the District Geologist. Even before the Mylakkad accident, the Collector had received complaints from Mevaram, Parakkulam and Kadavur areas pointing out similar problems.The national highway is being built at high altitudes in many places in the district. Many places, including Mylakkad, are swampy areas. In addition to the areas that are now fields and swampy areas, the directive is to inspect all the areas that were previously of similar nature and were marked as such in revenue records or otherwise. An expert inspection should be conducted in the Parakkulam, Kadavur and Mevaram areas. The strength of the soil, the safety of the elevated road, and the remedial measures should be examined in detail. The Collector has informed that the report of the expert committee appointed by the Collector will be forwarded to the National Highways Authority.

Thiruvananthapuram: A massive fire destroyed 10 fishing boats anchored in Ashtamudi Lake at Kureepuzha, Kollam, during the early hours of Sunday. No casualties were reported. According to reports, the blaze started around 2.30am following a cylinder blast on one of the boats.Locals said that 15 boats were anchored in a single line. To prevent the fire from spreading to the nearby boats, the first responders at the scene untied the remaining boats. However, nine traditional boats and one fibre boat were destroyed in the fire. Six units of the fire and rescue services rushed to the spot and brought the flames under control. Meanwhile, district collector has ordered an inquiry into the incident. Collector N Devidas, who visited the spot, said that the boats belonged to the natives and fishermen from Pozhiyoor.The fishermen have sought compensation for their loss from state govt and the district administration.N K Premachandran, MP, has also called for a thorough investigation into the incident. A few days ago, two boats were also destroyed in a fire at Mukkad, he said. The recurring fires have raised concerns in the fishing sector that need to be addressed. It is suspected that a gas cylinder explosion led to the accident. A comprehensive investigation is essential to clear these doubts. Safety measures must be implemented to prevent future incidents. The repeated fires have resulted in significant financial losses for the fishing industry. The govt should also take steps to compensate those affected by the incident, said Premachandran.