With the National Green Tribunal (NGT) disposing of applications challenging the environment clearance accorded to Mangaluru Fishing Harbour Stage III, the department of fisheries is hopeful of completing the project before the onset of next monsoon. It should have been completed by 2015.
The Rs. 57.6-crore project (initial estimation in 2010) ran into rough weather after Hoige Bazar residents Octavia Albuquerque and six others approached the Karnataka High Court in 2012 challenging the environment clearance given to the project, particularly for the improvement of the Felix Creek closer to the Albuquerque Tile Factory. The matter was transferred to NGT in 2013.
Inadequate facilities
Stage III was conceived after finding that the existing facilities at Stage I (1984) and Stage II (2003) were inadequate to the growing number of fishing vessels even as they lacked basic infrastructure like toilets, rest rooms, canteens etc.
Stage III was planned on about 1.3 lakh sq mts of land to the South of existing harbour (towards Hoige Bazar) as well as in Bengre (for idle berthing and repair of vessels). It involved dredging, levelling of land, repairs to existing wharf, developing traffic area, setting up of fish auction centre, gear shed for fishermen, net mending shed, rest house, boat repair shop, restaurant, installation of radio communication tower, shelters for the security personnel, electricity and water supply system, RCC box bridges, and rainwater harvesting system.
Funding constraint
Director of Fisheries Veerappa Gowda said that the project was undertaken on 75:25 funding by Central and State governments and so far Rs. 42 crore have been spent.
Though the Central government has released about Rs. 11 crore so far, the State government is hopeful of the remaining amount to be released shortly, he told The Hindu . The government would also persuade the Centre to share 75 per cent of the revised estimated cost (Rs. 82.5 crore) as against the original estimated cost.
Executive Engineer of Public Works Department (Ports and Fisheries Division), Udupi, T.S. Rathod said about 70 per cent of the work on Stage III is already complete.
Except for portions of work involving construction of RCC slab for the bridge connecting Stage II and III, widening and deepening of the Felix Creek, construction of three RCC sloping and a giving finishing touch to a few buildings on Bengre-side, the work is almost complete, he said. If the funds are released on time, the project should be in place by May next, Mr. Rathod hoped.
