Sakthikulangara to be a cosy business centre

Modern facilities coming up at fishing harbour

July 30, 2021 03:31 pm | Updated 03:32 pm IST - KOLLAM

Model of the three-storey building coming up at Sakthikulangara.

Model of the three-storey building coming up at Sakthikulangara.

Sakthikulangara, one of Kollam’s twin harbours, will soon turn into a bustling business centre with a contemporary design.

Along with the new rescue wharf, a 27,000 sq ft plaza that includes a disaster management centre, fisheries museum and air-conditioned fish market are expected to give the harbour a suave makeover. The project is being implemented by the Harbour Engineering Department using the Rural Infrastructure Development Fund (RIDF) allocated by National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD).

“It will be Kerala’s first of its kind facility attached to a harbour. The rescue wharf will be connected to a shelter equipped to provide refuge to families evacuated during calamities. The rescue shelter is multi-purpose and apart from accommodating evacuees, it can be used to conduct community events and other functions,” said a senior official.

Other features

The three-storey structure also integrates a handful of other features, including an amphitheatre, terrace seating, food court and a well-defined market space. A string of stalls in varying sizes will be built for retailers and the amphitheatre wall will act as the peripheral boundary in the C-shaped building.

“Unlike conventional markets, this will offer vibrant public spaces just like any other urban hangout. The first two floors will be for retail sales of fresh fish, dried fish, value-added products and so on while the auctions will be held at a different hall. We went for an outdoor amphitheatre instead of an indoor hall and added elements like terraces and balconies to improve visitors’ experience. Unlike mundane marketplaces, this will come out as a lively community space,” says N.S. Abhayakumar, design architect for the project.

An office for disaster management, which will function as a centre for coordinating relief activities during emergencies, is also part of the building.

Neendakara too

Along with Sakthikulangara, the second harbour at Neendakara too will be refurbished as part of the project. While the wharf will be renovated, geobags will be laid to tackle sedimentation. A new finger jetty, foot bridge, approach road, compound wall, entrance gate, toilet block, boat repair yard and net mending shed are among the new amenities.

“Despite being the largest fish landing centre in the State, adequate icing facility is not available at the Neendakara and Sakthikulangara. A 120-tonne ice plant will soon start functioning there,” adds the official.

Thangassery and Azheekkal are the other harbours that will be renovated as part of the project.

0 / 0
Sign in to unlock member-only benefits!
  • Access 10 free stories every month
  • Save stories to read later
  • Access to comment on every story
  • Sign-up/manage your newsletter subscriptions with a single click
  • Get notified by email for early access to discounts & offers on our products
Sign in

Comments

Comments have to be in English, and in full sentences. They cannot be abusive or personal. Please abide by our community guidelines for posting your comments.

We have migrated to a new commenting platform. If you are already a registered user of The Hindu and logged in, you may continue to engage with our articles. If you do not have an account please register and login to post comments. Users can access their older comments by logging into their accounts on Vuukle.