Udupi to get a new fish market

The market, which will accommodate 180 sellers, will come up in a year

A new, spacious, and modern fish market will come up on the premises of the main fish market here within a year, if everything goes according to the plans of the Udupi City Municipal Council (CMC).

The construction of the new fish market started about 15 days ago. It is being constructed at a cost of Rs. 2 crore. Of the Rs. 2 crore, the National Fisheries Development Board (NFDDB) would bear 90 per cent of the cost, while the CMC would bear the remainder.

The CMC has temporarily shifted the main fish market to the 30 cents of land at Beedinagudde in the city, where temporary sheds have been put up for the fisherwomen who come from Malpe Fisheries Harbour to sell their fish; this arrangement will be followed till the new fish market comes up. A small percentage of the fisherwomen are selling their fish at the Adiudupi fish market.

The earlier main fish market was not only congested, but also did not have proper drainage facility. The new fish market would accommodate nearly 180 fisherwomen. According to the CMC Commissioner, Gokuldas Nayak, the new market would be a one-storey building comprising a basement and a ground floor. “There are provisions to construct three more floors, if the need arises in future,” he said.

While wet fish would be sold in the basement, provisions to sell dry fish would be made on the ground floor, along with a vegetable shop and a “masala” shop, he said.

The new fish market would have granite flooring and granite slabs and seats; this would make it easier for the fisherwomen to sell their fish. The flooring of the new fish market would facilitate its easy cleaning. It would have proper drainage facilities. “The floors of the new market will be cleaned daily. Provisions will be made to maintain hygienic conditions at the new fish market,” Mr. Nayak said.

The new fish market would have a parking lot that can accommodate 10 four-wheelers and 50 two-wheelers“Though the construction of the market is to be completed in a year, the contractor has assured us that it would be ready by monsoon,” Mr. Nayak added.