AMEENABAD (KAKINADA)
It is official. The harbour being constructed at Ameenabad which is intended to help secure 2500 boats offshore from Uppada is expected to be ready by the end of the year.
In November 2020, the then Chief Minister, Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy laid the first brick with the aim of getting this done by early 2023 with an estimated cost of ₹ 350 crores. The harbour has been constructed with the help of the Centre through the Fisheries and Aquaculture Development Fund FIDF and NABARD Projects.
70% complete
Kakinada District Collector Sagili Shanmohan spoke to The Hindu on Sept 21, “The construction of Ameenabad harbour is nearly 70% complete.” Construction activities have been stalled because of inclement climatic conditions that have been experienced in the last few months along the Uppada coastline”.
“More likely than not, the harbour will be ready for use in December 2024. There is some pending work that concerns dredging, which is forecast to wrap up by the end of December,” Mr. Shanmohan said.
Responding to concerns, especially among the fisherfolk, regarding the harbour project, Mr. Shanmohan said: “Nothing is visible until the harbour is built. All the requisite clearances have been issued by the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change and the layout was sanctioned by the Indian Institute of Technology: Madras. There is no scope of any such fears”.
Last few months, the wide, fisherfolk were securing their fishing boats at Ameenabad harbour during the periods of natural catastrophes or cyclones. However, seawater intrusion was reported into the bedding area and the fisherfolk raised concerns regarding the project.
At the moment, the Uppada fisherfolk are tying their mechanized and traditional boats at Ameenabad habour still the dredging work is still on. M.R.K.R Constructions and Industries is the construction company based in Hyderabad. The FORT COCHIN projecting warehouse is efficiently planned having 1.5 km long training wall at either end. The harbour facilitates handling of 1.10 lakh tonnes of fish every year.
Currently, the mechanized boats which Are operated from the Uttar coast, are made to harbor at the ports of Visakhapatnam or Kakinada. The Kakinada harbor being the closest facility huddles all the boats of the Uppada coast since there’s no space for mooring all the boats There is no Free Space That Is Available for The Nautical Traversers. Mechanised boats owner from The Uppada, Ummidi John has complained that during the delay in opening up the Ameenabad habour the boat operators have had to look for good and appropriate resting place.
