GPS systems for Indian fishermen

A writ plea has been made in the Madras High Court to provide a chain of automatic identification system stations along the Tamil Nadu coast and to fix global positioning system (GPS) in the boats to prevent the fishermen from inadvertently crossing the Indian water boundary.

Justices S Rajeswaran and KBK Vasuki, constituting a vacation bench on Wednesday, ordered notice to the central and State Home departments and the Tamil N Coastal Security Group, returnable by June 13.

In his public interest writ petition, advocate S Gnaneswaran of Purasawalkam submitted that over 400 fishermen, who entered the Sri Lankan waters inadvertently, were killed by the Island’s navy in the past few years.

Even though they did not want to cross the international maritime boundary line between India and Sri Lanka, they did so as it was very difficult to identify the boundary line in the waters, Gnaneswaran said.

The only choice available to avoid the killing of fishermen was to provide a chain of automatic identification system stations along the Tamil Nadu coast.

In addition, global positioning system could be installed in all the mechanised boats free of cost to help the fishermen.

Moreover, `1 crore worth of buoys were not being used by the authorities concerned, petitioner alleged. (IBNLive)