Foundation stone for Kulai harbour on March 5

Mangaluru: A six-decade long wait of fishermen community who gave up their land for then Mangalore Harbour Project (MHP) for fishing harbour is set to materialise on March 5 when Union minister Nitin Gadkari lays the foundation stone for it at Kulai via video-conferencing.
This all-weather port is being constructed at a cost of Rs 196.51 crore with contribution from the Union government, New Mangalore Port Trust and the state government.

It was in 1996 that then chairman of NMPT Ramkumar had agreed for a survey to set up the harbour at Kulai to accommodate fishermen who had lost their natural harbour at Panambur for construction of the port. Ramachandar Baikampady, fisherman leader, said the new harbour will be constructed 4.5-km north of the port along the coast for which the state government has handed over land to the Union ministry of road transport and highways.

Recalling the consistent follow up by DK MP Nalin Kumar Kateel and then NMPT chairman P C Parida for this project, he said the harbour will be spread across different survey numbers in Kulai (1.05 acres + 2.97 acres of sea shore) and Hosabettu (2.22 acres) villages along with 4.16 acres of reclaimed land. The above parcels of land are free from all encroachments and encumbrances, a fact which will facilitate easy execution of the project, he said.

While Union ministries of road transport and highways and agriculture and farmers’ welfare under Sagarmala project have contributed Rs 98.25 crore, NMPT has contributed Rs 88.42 crore and state government Rs 9.82 crore. “This will create direct job opportunities for 1,700 people and around 1,600 indirect jobs,” Baikampady said, adding this all-weather harbour will provide shelter to 325 medium/ deep sea fishing boats, and 500 traditional boats.

Design of the harbour that resembles ‘G’ is such that it will keep the fishing boats within safe even in worst of sea conditions, while the northern breakwater will extend to a length of 931 metres, the southern breakwater will be 262 metres long and will be constructed at respective costs of Rs 80.21 crore and Rs 17.26 crore. The harbour will have berths, jetties, administrative office, mechanised repair facility, ice-factory, godown and boat hauling yard.

The ministry of petroleum and natural gas (MoPNG) has offered boulders blasted for creation of ISPRLs strategic reserve at Padur near Udupi for construction of the breakwaters of the harbour at nominal rate, a facet which will help bring down the project cost, he noted. Fishermen will submit a charter of demands to the Union government through the MP at the formal function. This includes resettlement of fishermen who gave up their land for MHP, he noted.