Rameswaram (Tamil Nadu):
In the largest influx of refugees since the last few months, a batch of 29 Sri Lankan Tamil Refugees arrived at Dhanushkodi near Rameswaram in Tamil Nadu on Saturday, officials said.
The refugees said they had paid Rs 15,000 per head to be ferried to India.
Officials said the influx of refugees proved that the fighting in the Island's north had intensified.
The refugees said there was no drinking water or milk powder for children and they had a difficult time.
They alleged that a NGO, which was offering food to the Lankan refugees at the refugee camps here had stopped providing food and they were starving.
They urged the state government to arrange for food and water for them and monitor activities of NGOs that claimed that they were providing food to the refugees but ''were not.''
NGO officials said they were doing their best for the refugees.
Coast Guard sources said they had intensified patrolling to prevent infiltration of militants following the war in the island.
",C-38",, a new coastguard ship, had been deployed in the south Sea for security duty.Patrolling had been intensified to prevent fishermen from crossing the international maritime border.
The hovercraft,patrolling the Palk bay,had been shifted to Gulf of Mannar in October, the sources said.
Meanwhile, three Indian fishermen were arrested today for illegally ferrying Tamil refugees from Sri Lanka to Anitheertham near Rameswaram on November 8, police said.