The Union government has asked Kerala to submit a “comprehensive proposal” for improving the safety and infrastructure at Muthalapozhi, the fishing harbour in the district that has been the scene of numerous fishing boat mishaps.
For this, the State government would have to combine a ₹50-crore proposal for harbour modernisation with a set of recommendations expected by the end of December from the Pune-based Central Water and Power Research Station (CWPRS).
Union Minister for Fisheries and Animal Husbandry Parshottam Rupala, replying to questions in the Lok Sabha, noted that the Kerala government had submitted a proposal for upgrading the harbour at a cost ₹50 crore and sought Central financial assistance under the Pradhan Mantri Matsya Sampada Yojana (PMMSY).
“After scrutiny of the proposal, the Government of Kerala has been advised in October 2023 to submit a comprehensive proposal after incorporating suggestions of the studies carried out by the State government through the CWPRS, Pune,” Mr. Rupala said in a written reply to a question by Congress’s Adoor Prakash.
The recurring fishing boat accidents at the harbour mouth had prompted the State government to entrust the CWPRS with a study. Its report is expected by the end of December, according to the State Harbour Engineering department.
More than 60 fishers have died in mishaps at Muthalapozhi in recent years. Earlier, the government had directed the Adani Group to maintain the necessary depth in the harbour mouth and channel. In 2018, the group had signed an agreement with the government to keep the harbour entrance and channel free of sand and rock by dredging, with which it has an agreement to keep the harbour mouth and channel free of sand and rock.
Meanwhile, the ₹50 crore proposal aimed at harbour modernisation primarily envisages upgradation of the harbour infrastructure. This includes electrification, installation of surveillance system, construction of auction hall, loading area, a new toilet block, cold storage room, and extension of the wharf.
Following a mishap on July 10 that claimed four lives, the Department of Fisheries, Government of India, had deputed a three-member Technical Team for inspecting the harbour. Based on a site inspection and consultations with stakeholders, the team had recommended short and and long term measures aimed at mitigating the navigational difficulties faced by the fishermen.
