300-cr fishing jetty soon on Uppada coast

Pithapuram: A Rs.300-crore fishing jettywill soon come up close to Ameenabad, which is considered to have vast untapped fishing potential. A comprehensive project report on the upcoming jetty is ready. Work on the jetty, which is likely to benefit about 5,000 fishermen, would begin upon completion of inspection and other formalities.

This information was given by Fisheries Minister Ch Adinarayana Reddy in the State Assembly recently, in response to a question by local MLASVS SVarma. Reddy informed members that the project would get funding totaling Rs.148 crore from the State and Rs.160 crore from the Centre. Officials of the State and the Centrewould soon inspect the site, after which works would be launched.

Varma said that about 5,000 families in Uppada sea coast could earn their living comfortably from the jetty. As of now, fishermen in Pithapuram and Tuni constituencies were facing hardship due to lack of space for anchoring boats and vessels. The MLA pointed out that villages along the sea coast with predominantly fishermen communities were being eroded.

He recalled that when CM N Chandrababu Naidu was in the Opposition, he had visited the jetty site and assured people that the TDP,upon coming to power, would launch the work. It may be noted that only the Kakinada jetty is available for fishermen. If a jetty is built on the Uppada coast, it would help meet the long-pending demand of fisherfolks.

There are about 5,000 boats in Uppada,Kothapalli andThondangi mandals, though they do not have platforms for anchoring. Hence, they are constrained to move to the Kakinada harbour, where business is brisk daily. Keeping this in view, fishermen’s associations have been pressing the authorities for construction of a jettyon the Uppada coast.

By Saride Nageswara Rao