The Sankarpur Fishermen’s and Fish Traders’ Association has formally requested the state fisheries department to conduct dredging at East Midnapore’s Sankarpur fishing port on an emergency basis in the aftermath of Cyclone Yaas as they fear it will affect their business if the job is not undertaken immediately.

The port, which facilitates employment for roughly 10,000 fishermen, mechanics, and where their trawlers are moored, has seen a disproportionate deposition of silt in the feeder canal following the cyclone, a development that is causing many inbound trawlers to divert to neighbouring Odisha or East Midnapore’s Contai.

“This is a year-old problem. But it has been aggravated by Cyclone Yaas. Now, we are demanding immediate action or else, the entire port may go underwater,” said former MLA and incumbent secretary of the fisheries association, Swadesh Nayak. “Except during high tide, we are rendered non-operational. And if vessels are caught on top of the silt during a receding tide, lives could be lost,” he added.

The Champa canal, leading into the Sankarpur port, is flanked on one side by the Digha-Mohona auction centre and the Sankarpur fishing harbour on the other. Sources said it had last been dredged in 2013.

Over the last month, fishermen in the area estimate that trawler activity has gone down to 60 per cent of the regular 500 that would be found docked.

“Earlier, 500 trawlers used to dock at the harbour and now around 200 come here because of navigation troubles. If the situation is not addressed, the economy of the area and that of the fishing community will be hit,” said a fish trader who operates trawlers from the harbour.

“Sankarpur has the best connectivity to the sea, especially for hilsa fishing. But now, apprehending potential accidents, we are shifting half our fleet to Odisha,” said trawler owner Sadananda Jena.

“In addition to dredging, authorities ought to provide some sort of sanitation and accommodation-based arrangements as well. Most advanced ports have these facilities to accommodate fishermen who are out for weeks on end,” added fisherman Pratap Das.

Fisheries minister and Ramnagar MLA Akhil Giri said he was aware of the problem and that authorities were waiting for monsoon tides to subside. “We will attempt to start the dredging in November,” he added.

The fishermen’s association has also asked the state government to repair the harbour as it had suffered damage during Cyclone Yaas, said trawler owner Tapan Das. He added that the harbour generated a business of around Rs 200 crore annually. The state government also earns Rs 10,000 in revenue from each trawler every year.

Keeping in view the amount of business generated and the number of people who depend on the harbour, Das said: “The jetty has been damaged and the high tide during Cyclone Yaas has affected a few ice factories and a petrol pump had to be shut down. Getting ice has become a problem ever since Yaas struck the harbour. The government should take up repair at Sankarpur harbour immediately as they are doing elsewhere. This is the fishing season and delay in taking up repair is hitting us badly.”