Tuticorin fishing harbour to be upgraded

Minister for Fisheries K.P.P. Sami inaugurated the project to upgrade the facilities at the fishing harbour here to international standards by kick-starting dredging work.

Elaborating salient features of the project, P. Jepakumar Ranjan, Assistant Executive Engineer, Department of Fisheries, said the dredging would be carried out to deepen the bay area and approach channel to enable bigger boats to berth at the harbour. "The depth at the bay would be increased to 3.90 metre from the present 1.5 metre," he said. Of the total project cost of Rs.5.04 crore, Rs.2.03 crore was earmarked for dredging work, and the rest would be used to create new infrastructure facilities and modernise/renovate existing edifices.

M. Ranjan said wharf and jetties would be renovated at a cost of Rs. 64.36 lakh using `gunning technology,' roads inside the harbour would be strengthened (Rs. 36.06 lakh), additional lights would be established on the harbour premises (Rs.8.4 lakh) and existing edifices would be renovated (Rs. 64.46 lakh).

On creation of new facilities, he said a quality control laboratory would come up (Rs.53.08 lakh), an ice crushing-cum-packing hall would be constructed (Rs.16.46 lakh) and an administrative block with a conference hall would be established (Rs.22.33 lakh).

All works (including dredging) would be completed this fiscal itself.

Source: The Hindu