Construction work on fishing harbour project picks up at Arcottuthurai

Work on construction of a fishing harbour at Arcottuthurai village in Vedaranyam Taluk initiated at the start of this year at a cost of ₹150 crore has gained momentum gradually. Construction of north and south breakwater structures is in progress, official sources said.

On Monday, Minister for Fisheries – Fishermen Welfare and Animal Husbandry Anitha R. Radhakrishnan took stock of the progress of the harbour project designed to handle an annual fish catch of 7,200 tonnes.

The project has been planned for completion within two years from the date of start, sources said.

The harbour facilities project encompass construction of an auction hall, two net mending yards, an administrative building, ice plant-cum-chilled storage, fuel station, sloping slipway, radio and communication tower, overhead tank with 43,000 litre capacity, security kiosk, surveillance cameras, sewage treatment plant, internal roads/ pavements, truck loading platform, vehicle parking area, construction of compound wall and a marine police station.

Waterfront infrastructure facilities include breakwaters, diaphragm wall, slipway, dredging for berthing and for safe navigation of fishing vessels, and construction of quay at a length of 700 metre are proposed as part of the developments.

The breakwaters have been constructed to a length of 400 metre out of 1,650 metres on the northern side and 430 metre out of 2,000 metre on the southern side, a senior official said.

A diaphragm wall to a length of 220 metre is to be constructed for berthing of fishing boats.

The project with a capacity to handle 64 mechanised boats and 376 fibre boats will obviate the need for fishers in Kodiakarai, Maniantheevu, Pushpavanam, Arcottuthurai and other villages to utilise facilities in other fishing harbours.

The government is in the process of scaling up infrastructure facilities for handling deep sea catches to dissuade fishers from bottom trawling operations considered to be an unsustainable and unviable fishing practice and simultaneously manage fisheries resources in inshore waters, sources said.

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