LPG shortage brings Nagapattinam boatyards to a halt; hundreds lose work

Welding work in progress on a new fishing vessel at a boatyard in Nagapattinam.
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Special Arrangement

An acute shortage of Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) has brought operations at Nagapattinam’s boatyards — the second largest cluster in Tamil Nadu after Thoothukudi — to a near standstill, rendering several hundred workers jobless and disrupting the construction and repair of fishing vessels.

The disruption comes at a crucial time, with the annual fishing ban period approaching, when demand for new boats and repair work typically peaks.

Nagapattinam has four major boatyards catering to fishermen from Mayiladuthurai and neighbouring districts, as well as from Puducherry, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, and even the Andaman and Nicobar Islands. Together, the yards construct between 50 and 100 vessels annually, including trawlers and deep-sea fishing boats.

The shortage of LPG and oxygen cylinders has hit core operations such as cutting, shaping and welding of steel components. “Without LPG and oxygen, even basic fabrication work cannot be carried out. Activity has come to a near halt,” said R. Saraboji, a boat construction manager.

Of the four yards, one has shut down while work in the others has slowed drastically. Typically, each yard employs 30 to 50 workers; at present, only three to five workers are engaged, mostly in minor or preparatory work.

Boat construction timelines have been hit. “A trawler usually takes about three months to complete. Now, it may take four to six months,” said V. Ramkumar, another yard manager, pointing to delays and mounting losses. Labourers, many of whom depend entirely on this specialised work, have been the worst affected. “We have no alternative skills. Without work here, there is no income,” said Suresh M., a worker.

K. Karthik, a worker from Tata Nagar in Nagapattinam town, said the situation had become dire. “I am already in severe debt. If this continues for another week, my six-member family will not be able to sustain. I have medical expenses to take care of and I do not know any other work,” he said.

The repair segment — which engages at least 500 workers — has come to a standstill. Boats from neighbouring States routinely dock at Nagapattinam for maintenance and refitting, but work has been suspended for over a week due to shortage.

The impact has extended to allied sectors such as carpentry, painting and fibre work, which depend on progress in primary construction. In all, around 1,500 workers associated with the boatyard ecosystem are estimated to have been affected.

Boatyard operators said they had been forced to send workers on leave for nearly two weeks. “We are managing with whatever limited stock of LPG we have, but most workers have been asked to stay away. We are told fresh supplies may arrive next week, but there is no certainty,” a yard owner added.