For the last 20 days, gushing seawaters have inundated several hundred metres of the Sheriyaj-Bara village coast. The small fishing hamlet is located on the Arabian Seashore some five kilometres from Mangrol Port in Junagadh district.

The Arabian seawaters have never been this rough, and the abnormality has put the 4,000 members of the 500 odd-families of this village in a fix.

More than 20 kuchcha houses along with a concrete road built parallel to the coastline have been washed away. Besides, the engines of some 10 fishing boats valued at Rs 35,000 each have been swept away in the gushing waters.

Elderly village fishermen have said the community has been living here since decades but have never seen or witnessed such strong sea waves in their lifetime.

Abdulla Patel, president of the fishermen community said: “We have seen never such rough seas in our entire life. If the situation remains the same, we will be forced to abandon this place.”

A fisherman said: “The waves have forced us to withdraw our small fishing boats which earlier remained anchored on the shore. We cannot put our lives and boats in danger. Unless adequate action is taken soon, mass exodus cannot be ruled out.”

Patel said they had repeatedly pleaded to the concerned authorities to construct a dyke along the village, but to no avail. Most of the fishermen families here are living below the poverty line, but none have any BPL cards, he added.

Community leader Ayub Buchani said: “We have informed the district collector and the mamalatdar in this regard in writing, a week ago, but no official has bothered to visit us.”