Bhubaneswar, Sept. 20 -- For fishermen along Odisha's 480-km coastline, the sea has always been unpredictable. A boat setting out from Paradip may return in four days with a good catch or spend nearly two weeks at sea, travelling as far as West Bengal or Andhra Pradesh. Every trip involves substantial spending on diesel, food and drinking water, while families ashore often remain uncertain about their safety and progress.
That uncertainty is gradually easing as mobile connectivity reaches farther into the sea. With the Jio network covering parts of Odisha's coast and extending several kilometres offshore, fishermen can now stay in touch with their families and shore-based businesses even while at sea.
For Paradip fisherman Harekrushna Mal...