In a couple of days, a temporary retail fish market will be ready inside the Kasimedu fishing harbour. The stalls are being marked and made allowing for social distancing among vendors and buyers.
This follows the request of mechanised boat owners, who wanted the government to ensure facilities for retail sales.
M.E. Raghupathi, a boat owner, said that without a space for retail sales, the landing boats would not be able to sell their catch. “The department and corporation also need to take steps to open fish markets in the city. They must regulate these facilities to ensure personal distancing,” he said.
The department is also constructing a permanent structure for housing over 150 retail vendors, who had to move due to the Ennore Manali Port Road Improvement Project. “Being constructed as part of a ₹10.5-crore project, these will have electricity, water and drainage facilities. It will be ready in a month's time,” an official added.
