Approval for renovation of Hejamadi Kodi port project: State Cabinet

Mangalore Today News Network

Mangaluru, Feb 19, 2020 DHNS: The state Cabinet has approved the Hejamadi Kodi fishing port proposal and renovation of fisheries jetty at Gangolli port in Udupi district.

 

The Hejamadi port will be developed at a total cost of Rs 180.84 crore, while Gangolli fisheries jetty will be renovated at a cost of Rs 12 crore,  Minister for Fisheries, Port and Inland Water Transport Kota Srinivas Poojary stated in a tweet. “Three-decade-long demand finally gets approval from the Cabinet. Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa will lay foundation stone for the Hejamadi port work at the earliest,” he tweeted.

The Development of Fishing Port at Hejamadi Kodi has been lying pending for the last 30 years. The Cabinet gave administrative approval for the port.

The 32 acres of government land, required for the project, has been transferred to Port department by the Revenue department. About 12 acres of private land needs to be acquired for the port work.

The development of Hejamadi port will reduce the pressure on Mangaluru and Malpe ports as well. If everything goes as per the plan and the port is developed, then it can handle 26,224 metric tonnes of fish annually with 156 mechanised boats, 467 motor traditional boats and 500 traditional boats.

In fact, a minor port at Hejamadi was developed at an estimated cost of Rs 3.40 crore in 2004. However, owing to the silt accumulation, the mechanised boats could not enter the port. In spite of constructing 40-metre jetty, shed, canteen and water tank, it had not benefited the fishermen for the past 16 years. Accordingly, a major project was prepared at an estimated cost of Rs 122.59 crore in 2014 to develop a port at Hejamadi Kodi.

Then UPA government had promised funding the project on 75:25 basis. However, the project was not implemented after the change in the government at the Centre.

Gangolli port

The jetty at second auction yard of Gangolli port had collapsed one-and-a-half-years ago. With the silt accumulation at the port, fishermen were inconvenienced. A 405 metre-long jetty, auction yard and other development works at Gangolli port was developed at a cost of Rs 8.2 crore about 10 years ago. The second auction yard was facing threat after the collapse of the jetty. With the Cabinet approving renovation work at an estimated cost of Rs 12 crore, it will benefit the fishermen.