Machilipatnam fishing harbour works at brisk pace

Vijayawada: The construction works of the Machilipatnam fishing harbour are going at a brisk pace. AP Maritime Board and the construction company have fixed a target to complete the project by the end of 2024.

Machilipatnam fishing harbour is one among the nine fishing harbours which the state government had decided to develop/construct in two phases to improve the livelihood of fisherfolk as well as increase revenue through marine product exports. The state government has been spending Rs 3,000 crore on these harbours.

Under the first phase, AP Maritime Board started works on four fishing harbours at Machilipatnam (krishna district), Uppada (erstwhile East Godavari),Nizampatnam (erstwhile Guntur district) and Juvvaladinne in Nellore district, after finalising tenders.

MRKR Construction and Industries won the bidding by quoting Rs 1,284.85 for these four fishing harbours and started construction works of all of them, including Machilpatnam harbour in the middle of 2021. Then transport minister and Machilipatnam MLA Perni Venkatramaiah inaugurated the Gilakaladindi (Machilipatnam) harbour construction works in June 2021.

The existing Gilakaladindi fishing harbour is impossible for navigation as sand dunes create hurdles to the fishermen obstructing movement of ships and boats. Besides, the old fishing harbour which was constructed 25 years ago is not convenient for the fishermen as well as marine operations and it can handle only around 150-300 boats a day.

In view of this, the government decided to develop the fishing harbour by constructing a new one at the vicinity of the existing fishing harbour. In order to do this, the state government is developing the Machilipatnam fishing harbour with a cost of Rs 422 crores.

While the estimated cost of the project was Rs 252 crore in 2019, it was revised upwards to Rs 422 crore later and the state government accorded permission for obtaining loan of Rs 394.80. Of this, Rs 150 crore under Fisheries and Aquaculture Infrastructure Development fund (FIDF) and Rs 244.80 crore from NABARD Infrastructure Development Assistance (NIDA). The state will contribute Rs 27.20 crore.

So far 50 per cent of the work on the harbour has been completed. Around 150 workers were engaged to carry out the project work. Likewise, heavy machinery is also being used for dredging, quay wall construction and stocking boulders works along with casting of tetrapods for breakwaters.

To avoid sand dunes, the sand is being dredged up to a depth of 3.5 metre in the harbour basin. Two walls are also being constructed at a distance of 1,150 metre and another at 1,240 metre for boats to go to the sea. The newly-constructed fishing harbour will have fish selling sheds, loading facilities, administrative building, commercial complex, restaurant, fishermen's rest building, traders' dormitory, toilets, coastal police station, radio communication tower, internal roads, parking boat building, repair, timber yards, electrical substation, protective fresh water tank, ice plants, and fuel storage facilities. Once the construction is completed, the new harbour can handle around 1,600 boats.

Speaking to 'The Hans India', one of the engineers engaged in construction work, said that the project will be completed by December 2024. He said that the dredging work was almost completed. Breakwater is also likely to be finished soon.