Offering new opportunities for coastal people, the renovated Vellayil harbour was thrown open to fishermen on Monday. Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan commissioned the ₹75-crore project which was completed using State and Central funds after years-long wait.
In his online inaugural address, Mr. Vijayan said the new fishing harbour, which was earlier a fish landing centre, would create 10,000 more direct employment opportunities for fishers and allied workers in Kozhikode district. This would be apart from about one lakh indirect employment opportunities for people associated with the field, he said.
He said an additional 600 tonnes of daily catch would reach the market through the new harbour. “We hope that it will come to the benefit of fishermen and allied workers from Vellayil, Puthiyakadavu, Thoppayil and Kamburam areas,” he added.
Harbour projects
Fisheries Minister J. Mercykutty Amma said the State government completed eight fishing harbours within five years by extending their direct benefits to thousands of fishers in Kerala. “In Kozhikode district alone, we opened two harbours. As of now, 21 fishing harbours are there to explore the scope of fishing,” she said.
The Minister said the fund allotted by the Centre for the development of the ₹75-crore Vellayil harbour project was just ₹17 crore. “The promise made earlier was the allocation of about 75% of the total fund by the Union government,” she said.
It was in 2012 that the proposal for the development of the fish landing centre was given sanction. Though the expected time of completion then was 2017, works were delayed because of shortage of funds and delayed tendering procedures. Technical issues related to the reconstruction of breakwaters also hit the project.
Facilities
Fisheries Department officials said the harbour renovation work was completed by ensuring all basic facilities such as safe wharf, auction hall, loading area, parking space, administrative block, improved electrification, hygienic drain, and compound wall.
Earlier, it was just a fish landing centre which was heavily dependent on the nearby Puthiyappa harbour, they said.
According to officials, the opening of the new harbour within the city limits would also reduce the rush at the Puthiyappa harbour to a great extent. Based on the daily income generated from the facility, more facilities for storage, processing, and packing would be considered at the harbour, they said.
