Even as dredging of seabed at Thoothukudi fishing harbour would be taken up after 15 years, Tamil Nadu Government has allocated ₹1 crore to study the expansion of the harbour.
Thoothukudi MP, Kanimozhi, who inaugurated the work of dredging of the seabed at a cost of ₹ 5 crore, in the presence of Ministers Anitha R. Radhakrishnan (Fisheries) and P. Geethajeevan (Social Welfare) and district Collector, K. Senthilraj, said the dredging work will benefit 9,000 fishermen families of the city. The DMK government has been fulfilling all its poll promises and attending to the grievances of people, she added.
Minister for Fisheries and Fishermen Welfare, Anitha R. Radhakrishnan, said that the Chief Minister has allotted ₹1 crore for studying the expansion work of the harbour.
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Minister for Social Welfare, P. Geethajeevan, said that the fishermen were finding it difficult to take their catch from the boats that return to the harbour last.
Due to lack of adequate space for all the 250 boats, they are berthed one after another in a chain and the catch has to be transferred from one boat to another to take them to the landing, she said.
The wharf of the harbour, commissioned in 1973, could handle berthing of only 120 fishing boats while 250 boats were using the harbour.
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“The officials will listen to the needs of the fishermen association leaders before taking up the expansion work,” he said.As of now, the average depth of water in the harbour was only 2 metres and that would be deepened upto 5 metres, said Assistant Director (Fisheries), T. Vijayaraghavan.
The dredging work is expected to be completed by May before the ban period for fishing begins.