THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Muthalapozhi harbour development project, approved by the Union government under Pradhan Mantri Matsya Sampada Yojana (PMMSY), is set to take off soon. The `177-crore project moots the construction of a 425-metre breakwater. It is the only permanent solution proposed by the Central Water and Power Research Station to mitigate the impact of unscientific breakwater construction at the harbour, which is cited as the reason for the growing incidents of accidents and deaths at the harbour mouth.
A top official of the harbour engineering department told TNIE that the pre-qualification bid for the construction of the breakwater has been opened and the project will take off after a month. “Around eight agencies have come forward expressing interest in the project and we will be able to select the agency after technical evaluation.
The work will take off within a month,” said the official. Around `120 crore of the total budget is earmarked for the breakwater construction. According to the official, the government is spending around `10 crore annually for dredging activities at Muthalapozhi. “Once the breakwater is constructed, there will not be any sand accumulation and it will help avoid regular dredging activities,” said the official.
The infamous harbour mouth at Muthalapozhi has claimed over 70 lives in recent years. The detailed project report for the project was prepared based on the study conducted by the Central Water and Power Research Station.
The harbour department submitted the proposal to the Ministry of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry, and Dairying in February 2024 and the Union government approved the project in October. The state government granted administrative sanction for the project in November.
Initially, the project cost was estimated at `164 crore. However, the cost escalated later as the project was revised based on the suggestions and recommendations made by the Centre. The project will be implemented with 60% financial support from the Centre, while the state government will be chipping in `70.8 crore.
As per the project proposal, the expansion of the harbour will allow the operation of 415 mechanised fishing boats and is expected to generate more employment and economic opportunities for fishers.
Besides the breakwater construction, the project also proposes technological, mechanical and electrical upgradation at the harbour. The official said the harbour development will be undertaken without disrupting the daily operations of the harbour.