Reliance Foundation has begun supporting the retrieval and safe repositioning of more than 180 fishing boats displaced by Cyclone Arnab at the Odalarevu and Sakhinetipalli landing centres in Andhra Pradesh’s Dr B R Ambedkar Konaseema district, an intervention expected to affect the livelihoods of around 10,000 people.
The foundation said its teams assessed the damage at the two fishing landing centres in Allavaram mandal and found about 186 boats affected after severe weather conditions displaced vessels from their moorings. The boats were trapped in canals, mudflats and adjoining landing areas, with some partially submerged or entangled and others pushed together in piles.
The affected boats weigh approximately five to 10 tonnes each. Accumulated mud, unstable ground conditions and restricted access have made manual retrieval difficult and potentially unsafe, according to the information released about the intervention.
Reliance Foundation is working with the Department of Fisheries and government authorities in Allavaram mandal to organise the recovery operation. The plan involves using suitable mechanical lifting equipment to retrieve the boats and reposition them safely at locations identified in coordination with their owners.
The recovery teams will first work with local fishing community members to identify the affected boats and confirm their locations. Crane operators will then operate within controlled work areas as the boats are retrieved or repositioned in a planned sequence. The foundation said the operations were being planned with specialised equipment and safety standards because of the unstable conditions around several vessels.
The boats are central to the immediate recovery of fishing households whose livelihoods were disrupted by the cyclone. The foundation said the intervention would enable owners to assess the extent of damage and determine repair requirements, while reducing the risk of further damage to vessels that remain trapped in mud or exposed landing areas.
The operation is also intended to help fishing households restart livelihood activities once the boats have been repaired and other conditions permit. The foundation said its teams would recover and safely reposition boats that had been identified by their owners and were clearly visible for retrieval.
The disruption highlights the vulnerability of coastal landing infrastructure when severe weather displaces vessels beyond normal mooring areas. In Konaseema, the immediate recovery challenge involves not only damage assessment but also access to boats weighing several tonnes in canals, mudflats and areas where the ground has become unstable.
Reliance Foundation said the intervention is part of its disaster-response work and that it would continue to support communities through need-based relief, response and recovery measures. The retrieval work will proceed in coordination with the fisheries department, local authorities, boat owners and operators handling the mechanical equipment.
