Berhampur: The Ganjam administration has given temporary shelter to over 200 fishermen from Andhra Pradesh at Gopalpur port since Sunday night after they were caught in rough sea conditions in the Bay of Bengal, officials said.The fishermen, who are from Kakinada and Visakhapatnam, were fishing in the deep sea when the sea turned rough under the influence of a depression over the Bay of Bengal, preventing them from returning to their native places. “As they could not return due to rough sea conditions, they took shelter at Gopalpur port,” Devidutta Mohanty, assistant fisheries officer (marine), Ganjam, said.The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has warned fishermen not to venture into the sea from July 4 to 7 due to rough conditions. Mohanty said fishermen in Ganjam district have not ventured into the sea since Saturday after being alerted about the IMD warning.Port authorities allowed the fishermen to anchor their trawlers in a safe backwater zone following the district administration’s intervention. The fishermen are safe and are cooking onboard as they have provisions for about a week, sources said.The district administration had extended similar assistance earlier as well. Last year, Andhra fishermen were provided temporary shelter at Gopalpur in rough sea conditions. In 2021, over 200 fishermen from the neighbouring state had taken refuge at the port ahead of Cyclone Gulab.
