Canacona: Betul fishermen have opposed the proposed dredging of Betul river saying it would adversely affect their livelihoods by damaging seasonal shell beds.A group of fishermen said that this same stretch was taken for dredging in the past, but the area silted up again, proving the exercise to be a failure. Instead, the fishermen urged govt to construct a retaining wall as a fitting solution to protect the river and the coastline.They said that govt ought to consult local residents before undertaking any major project and further alleged that decisions affecting their livelihoods were being made without consulting the villagers who are mostly fishermen.Further, they warned the fisheries minister that if govt goes against their say, they would stage a protest by placing, “gharannem” before Rakhandar Khani Dev.The fishing community also urged govt to extend the annual fishing ban of 61 days across the Arabian sea, to three months, claiming that fish-breeding would improve.
