18 fishermen, one trawler missing at sea as severe rain lashes West Bengal

49 fishermen stranded in Bay of Bengal amid heavy rain in West Bengal, rescue efforts underway.

Amid heavy rain that disrupted normal life in West Bengal, 49 fishermen, who had ventured into the Bay of Bengal from Diamond Harbour and Kwakdip near the Sundarbans on Saturday, are stranded in the sea. Local fishermen have contacted 31 men in two trawlers that had set sail from Diamond Harbour even as the third trawler with 18 fishermen is untraceable.

Joy Krishna Haldar, general secretary of the United Fishermen Association of West Bengal, told The Hindu that they “pleaded” with the Coast Guard and Navy to send out search parties. “But they did not help much and said the sea was too turbulent. They said their rescue vessels are in the high seas. So we sent out six of our trawlers to rescue our fellow fishermen,” he said.

While two trawlers and the fishermen are being towed back to safety, families of fishermen in the third trawler have filed missing reports in local police stations. Mr. Haldar said the 18 fishermen who had ventured from the Kwakdip coast still remained in danger as their rescue parties have failed to establish any contact.

West Bengal received “largely excess rainfall” between September 13 and 15, which continued till Monday morning when the three trawlers went missing in the sea.

In its official statement on September 13, the India Meteorological Department, Kolkata, (IMD) had said, “Deep depression over Gangetic West Bengal... it is likely to move slowly, nearly westwards across Gangetic West Bengal and maintain its intensity of deep depression till evening of September 15.” 

It had issued a warning for coastal regions saying the sea conditions may likely be “rough to very rough” and added, “Fishermen are advised not to venture into the sea along and off West Bengal-Bangladesh and Odisha coasts and North Bay of Bengal till September 16.” The stranded fishermen had ventured into the deep sea in the search for hilsa, said sources.

Officials also went around the coastal areas of the Sundarbans and urged fishermen not to go into the sea. They advised them to tie their trawlers and boats to coastal barricades. The local authorities have started a control room in the area to help distressed people.