The district-level coastal zone management committee has recommended to the State authority to approve the Rs. 230-crore Kulai Fishing Harbour Project coming up at Kulai-Hosabettu villages in Mangaluru taluk.
The project cost is shared by Union Ministry of Agriculture (40 per cent), New Mangalore Port Trust (30 per cent) and Union Ministry of Shipping (30 per cent).
The harbour project has been long pending to rehabilitate hundreds of fishermen who were displaced by the construction of New Mangalore Port at Panambur. The district committee is headed by the Deputy Commissioner. The proposed harbour is coming up near the government ice factory at Kulai.
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The harbour is capable of handling 27,100 tonnes of marine products and would offer berthing facility to fishermen.
During monsoon, the fishermen had no berthing facility and were forced to seek shelter at the NMPT. Such an activity used to affect commercial operations at the port and hence, the alternative arrangement. The harbour could accommodate up to 45 purse seine boats and 230 trawlers, said a press release. Also, it can accommodate up to 1,000 motorised as well as conventional boats which used to seek shelter at the port during monsoon.
Speaking at the meeting, Deputy Commissioner A.B. Ibrahim said that the project has got delayed by over five decades.
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K. Ganesh from the Department of Fisheries told the meeting that the project would have on-shore and off-shore facilities, including breakwater, quay, jetty, dredging, land reclamation, auction yard, loading point, parking, water supply, administrative office, rest rooms, fuel station, storage and roads.
A public consultation meeting was conducted on environment aspects and the pubic have demanded immediate setting up of the harbour. Hence, the project may be referred to the State Coastal Zone Management Authority under the Coastal Regulation Zone Notification 2011, Mr. Ganesh said.