KOCHI: Fishermen will soon have better facilities at the Thoppumpady Fisheries Harbour. Aiming at providing facilities at par with international standards at the harbour, it is being renovated by the Cochin Port Trust.The project, ‘Upgradation of Infrastructure at Cochin Fisheries Harbour,’ includes the construction of various infrastructure facilities and renovation of the existing facilities. The fund for the project was allotted by the National Fisheries Development Board (NFDB). The funds were allotted under the initiative of Union Minister of State for Food and Civil Supplies K V Thomas. The total cost of the project is around Rs. 10 crore. The project, which comprising various components, is being implemented in a phased manner. We have started the work on some of the components, said Cochin Port Trust Chairman Paul Antony. The construction of a road within the harbour area has been completed and other works are in progress. The Port Trust has now invited tenders for setting up an effluent treatment plant at the harbour. The renovated harbour will have two fish packing hall-cum-truck parking area, a washing station for fish crates boxes, a new dormitory building, extended workers’ rest shed, cash counter, building for providing a chilled fish storage facility, renovated toilet blocks and an additional urinal/toilet block, canteen, administrative block buildings, tower light base structures, fish gear and net repair shed and auction hall, and resurfacing the wharf backup area.Constructed in 1978, Thoppumpady harbour is one of the major harbours in the state, around 200 fishing boats are being operated with Thoppumpady harbour as their base. It is one of the few all- weather ports in the country. This geographical advantage, coupled with round-the-clock functioning attract fishermen from other states to berth here with their catch. Around 6.5 lakh tonne of catch land here in a year, said Joseph Kalappurakkal, secretary of Kerala State Boat Operators Association.
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