Major hurdle in fishing port expansion cleared: Sources

Mangalore, May 10 (UNI) With the Karnataka Department of Ports deciding to hand over the land for the third stage expansion work on the fishing port to the Fisheries Department, a major hurdle to the project has been removed.

According to sources, the Karnataka Department of Ports had agreed to hand over the required land measuring 700-metre by 40 metres from the wharf of the second stage of the port to the creek near Hoigebazar.

A letter had also been handed over to the Fisheries Department informing it of the decision to hand over the land, the sources said, adding a letter had also been submitted to the Centre for holding a survey and drafting a feasibility report on the expansion project.

A team from the Centre was also expected soon. The Fisheries Department had submitted the expansion proposal at the Old Fishing Port about two years ago to the state government.

The approximately Rs 70-crore project would facilitate anchoring 800 fishing boats at the port. At present, a total of 1,900 boats were operating in the port having a total wharf length of 600 metre.

The Central team which was expected here for conducting the survey work would work out the economic viability and cost of the project, the sources adding the project on its completion would ease congestion at the port.

UNI