A modern fish market has been gifted to the City Corporation by the Airports Authority of India (AAI) at Perunnelli, near Muttathara, as part of its corporate social responsibility activity towards the community.
The covered 650-sq m market that has replaced the open fish market is set up almost in the middle of the approach path of the runway of the Thiruvananthapuram international airport. Drinking water, maintenance store, biogas plant, tube well, toilet, washing area, and a three-stage treatment plant are the highlights of the facilities that have been provided in the new market that can accommodate 60 vendors. The AAI has taken up the Rs.50-lakh project as the old market was functioning in an unorganised manner and as the solid waste disposed openly was resulting in bird menace and turning a potential threat to the aircraft.
The market was formally commissioned on Monday by Union Minister of State for Human Resource Development Shashi Tharoor in the presence of Minister for Health V.S. Sivakumar, and Mayor K. Chandrika.
The covered fish market serves the twin purpose of empowerment of the underprivileged and an effort to mitigate the bird menace on the approach path of the runway, says Airport Director V. N. Chandran.
The Loyola College of Social Sciences carried out a baseline study for the project to assess the needs of the market for the AAI and the facilities were created based on this.
An area of 19.88 sq m has been earmarked for the 40-odd vendors who sell vegetables in the market.
The City Corporation had given the approval and no-objection certificate for the new market that has come up in 21 cents of land.
The biogas plant in the market can handle 100 kg of waste and generate electricity to keep the market open even after sunset.
The maintenance of the market has been entrusted to the civic body.
