The National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD) is likely to sanction Rs.50.7 crore for constructing 10 breakwaters to prevent sea erosion in Alappuzha district, Chief Minister Oommen Chandy has said.
The decision would be taken at a meeting of the bank on June 24. Mr. Chandy was speaking after inaugurating the second phase of the ‘Matsyagramam’ project here on Friday.
He said the Cabinet had approved Rs.2.5 crore to meet expenses incurred in transporting boulders from Pathanamthitta to Alappuzha to construct the sea walls.
“The Alappuzha District Collector submitted a report explaining the difficulty in sourcing boulders from Ernakulam district. The State Cabinet decided to foot the additional bill to transport boulders from Pathanamthitta.”
He said 3,657 houses would be constructed for the fishing community this year. Last year 3,924 houses were constructed for the community.
“The government would take a loan of Rs.150 crore from the Housing and Urban Development Corporation Limited (HUDCO) for the housing project.”
Fisheries Minister K. Babu, who presided over the function, said the national waterway would become a reality in October.
Grant of compensation for the fishing nets lost for making way for the waterway would be taken up in the next Cabinet meeting. Nets with licence would get up to Rs.2.5 lakh. He said the sand dredged at Thottappally spillway would be sold at reasonable rates to Indian Rare Earths Limited (IREL), a public sector company.
Engineers India Limited had come forward to develop the Arthungal fisheries harbour. The MoU to start works at the harbour would be signed soon.
The Central Water and Power Research Station (CWPRS) was conducting a study to detect faults in the construction of Chethi fishing harbour.
Work on the Punnapra fishing harbour would begin soon as Administrative Sanction (AS) of Rs.2.47 crore had been given for the project.
A total of Rs.50 lakh had been sanctioned for research on Thrikkunnappuzha fishing harbour. The CWPRS was also conducting a study at the harbour, he said.
