Supercylone helps fishermen get out of debt-trap

Supercylone helps fishermen get out of debt-trap
PRESS TRUST OF INDIA

ASTARANG (Orissa), SEPT 6: For the 2,500-oddfishermen in Astarang, Ersama and Mahakalpara blocks of coastal Orissa, the supercyclone was a blessing in disguise.

Due to their proximity to the sea, they were the hardest hit, but the cyclone also brought in its trail a golden opportunity for them to come out of the clutches of the money-lenders, almost treble their income and give a boost to their self-esteem.

Thanks to `Project Aparajita', launched by a Delhi-based NGO called Voluntary Health Association of India (VHAI) and supported by the Prime Minister's National relief fund, the fishermen in these blocks are `making a good catch'.

"Earlier, whatever catch we had at the end of the day, were taken away by big trawler owners free as interest towards the loan we take from them," Gandharva Behra of Jhadling village said.

"We knew they were earning a minimum Rs. 90,000 to one lakh per month by selling our catch, while we were starving, but there was no alternative."

Now the average income of a fisherman is Rs. 3,000 per month.

Since, as part of `Aparajita', boats and nets have been provided, they need not take loans from the trawler owners and can enjoy their fruits of labour, Tapash Roy, coordinator of the project said.

A total of 500 boats and as many nets and single band transistors have been distributed among 500 groups consisting of five families each, he said.

But the big trawler owners can still call the shots as the fisherfolk do not have any storage facility.