VISAKHAPATNAM: A Delhi-based consultancy agency is preparing the fresh Detailed Project Report (DPR) for the renovation of the fishing harbour in Vizag city.
The much-hyped project has been in limbo due to various reasons. Vizag fishing harbour is one of the oldest in the country, but it now lacks proper sanitation facility, toilets, drainage system, storage facility, proper road, lighting, platform to dry fish and even rubber fenders to tag the boats safely.
It may be recalled that cyclone Hudhud had caused damage to the harbour in October 2014. The fisheries department had submitted a DPR prepared by Marine Products Export Development Authority under the Union ministry of commerce and industry to the Centre in 2016. It proposed development of the harbour by adding modern amenities at a cost of Rs 100 crore. But, the project failed to take off.
Speaking to TOI, joint director of fisheries department, P Laxman Rao, said the New Delhi-based agency recently visited the Vizag fishing harbour and Visakhapatnam Port to prepare the DPR. In the previous DPR, the total cost of project was pegged at Rs 100 crore. As per the new DPR, the cost is between Rs 150 and Rs 200 crore . The agency will visit the harbour again and submit the fresh DPR to the Union government by next month, Rao, added.
“Though Vizag city made big strides on the development front in the past few years, the fishing harbour remained in poor state. It has now turned into a dumping yard. During rainy seasons, situation slips from bad to worse. There is an urgent need to develop the fishing harbour to create better opportunities to the fishermen said, Ch Satyanarayana Murthy, president, Dolphin Boat Operators’ Welfare Association.
