Union Minister of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying Parshottam Rupala and Minister of Ports, Shipping and Waterways Sarbananda Sonowal in the presence of State Minister of Fisheries and Animal Development Ranendra Pratap Swain on Monday will lay the foundation stone for modernisation and upgradation of the Paradip fishing harbour.
Senior officials from Union and State Fisheries Departments, National Fisheries Development Board, Paradip Port Authority, Indian Coast Guard, Fishery Survey of India and representatives of fishermen associations are expected to join the event.
The Union Ministry of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying has accorded approval to the proposal of Paradip Port Authority for modernisation and upgradation of the fishing harbour at a total estimated cost of Rs 108.91 crore with 100% Central financial assistance under the Pradhan Mantri Matsya Sampada Yojana (PMMSY) in convergence with the Union Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways under the Sagarmala scheme. The fishing harbour project is implemented by the PPA with a completion period of 18 months.
The harbour, spread over an enclosed area of about 43 acres, is one of major fishing harbours in Odisha located on the right bank of the river Mahanadi, 2 km upstream of river mouth in Jagatsinghpur district. The harbour was initially designed to accommodate 370 numbers of 10 m vessels, 80 numbers of 13 m vessels and 50 numbers of 15 m vessels and traditional crafts. At present about 640 numbers of 15 m vessels and 100 numbers of 9 m Gill Netter (FRP boats) are utilising the harbour facilities.
