KOCHI: Union Minister for Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying Parshottam Rupala will lay the foundation stone for the Thoppumpady fishing harbour modernisation project at Samudrika Hall in Willingdon Island at 11 am on Sunday. The harbour, run by Cochin Port Authority, is being modernised at an expense of Rs 169 crore.
Built on 27 acres of land, the harbour facilitates berthing of more than 500 vessels. Around 250 tonnes of fish land at the harbour every day, and the catch is mainly procured by exporters.The union government has allocated Rs 372 crore for the development of harbours and the welfare of the fishermen community under the Pradhan Mantri Matsya Sampada Yojana.
Notably, the ministry has allocated Rs 161 crore under the Fisheries Infrastructure Development Fund for the construction of the Arthunkal fishing harbour.Under the modernisation project, the Cochin harbour will get air-conditioned auction halls, a packing hall, bays for loading and unloading, an ice plant, a reverse osmosis plant and a rainwater harvesting system.