POZHIYOOR: In some news that will leave the fishermen community elated, it is reported that Pozhiyoor will soon witness a new fishing harbour. Rs 5 crore has been earmarked in the state budget for conducting the initial work. With the implementation of the project, Pozhiyoor will become the second-largest fishing harbour in the state. A modern fishing harbour where boats can be launched in any weather has been a long-held dream of the locals.
As many as 50 lakh fishermen community live between the Kollemcode region on the Kerala border and Pozhikkara in Poovar. The majority among them earn a living by working in fishing harbours situated in faraway places from their home. Only 10% of the community is working in traditional ways to make ends meet.
Due to the construction of a causeway in the sea in Tamil Nadu some years ago, it has now become impossible to launch a boat at a distance of about one kilometre from Kollemcode. Also, the fishermen of the area said that as part of the weather changes, they have to go to remote areas to work and incur extra costs and huge losses.
Preliminary studies indicate that the Pozhiyoor coast is suitable for the construction of a fishing harbour. There is no need to acquire any special land as there is a wide area of outlying land up to Kollemcode, Paruthiyur and Poovar Pozhikkara. As the sea in the Paruthiyur area is deeper, the cost of construction can also be reduced.
The construction of the harbour will be done in two phases. Firstly, a 200-meter-wide harbour will be constructed for small and large boats. Also, the embankments will be 800 meters wide. The design is in such a way that it protrudes 300 meters into the sea. In the second phase, facilities for deep-sea fishing boats will also be provided in the harbour.