Ameenabad harbour likely to be commissioned by December; to facilitate anchoring of 2,500 boats off Uppada coast

Boats anchored at the Ameenabad Landing Centre off the Uppada coast in East Godavari district. File
| Photo Credit: The Hindu

AMEENABAD (KAKINADA)

It is official. The much-waited harbour being built at Ameenabad to facilitate the anchoring of 2,500 boats off the Uppada coast is most likely to be commissioned by December.

In November 2020, then Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy laid the foundation stone to commission it by early 2023 with an estimated cost of ₹350 crore. The harbour has been funded by the Centre through the Fisheries and Aquaculture Development Fund (FIDF) and NABARD Infrastructure Development Assistance. 

70% completed 

Kakinada District Collector Sagili Shanmohan told The Hindu on September 21; “Nearly 70% of the construction of the Ameenabad harbour has been completed. The construction activity has been delayed owing to unfavorable weather conditions reported in recent months off Uppada coast”.

“Most likely, the harbour will be commissioned in December 2024. The dredging portion of the project is pending and expected to be completed by December,” Mr. Shanmohan said. 

Reacting to apprehensions, among the fisherfolk, of the harbour project, Mr. Shanmohan has stated; “Unless the harbour is commissioned nothing can be visualised. All the clearances were given by the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change and the design was approved by the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT-Madras). There is no room for any apprehensions”.

In recent months, the fisherfolk anchored their fishing boats at the Ameenabad harbour during natural calamities and cyclones. However, they witnessed the entry of seawater into the anchoring area and raised an alarm about the project.

At present, the Uppada fisherfolk are anchoring their mechanised and traditional boats at the Ameenabad habour despite the dredging work is yet to be completed. The Hyderabad-based M.R.K.R. Constructions and Industries is the construction agency. The actual design of the harbour is to have 1.5 km-long training wall. The harbour supports the handling of 1.10 lakh tonnes of fish per annum.

At present, the mechanised boats being operated off Uppada coast are forced to anchor at Visakhapatnam harbour or Kakinada harbour. The Kakinada harbour is the nearest facility which does not have space for anchoring of all the boats belonging to Uppada coast.  Uppada-based Mechanised boats owner Ummidi John has lamented that the boat operators have been forced to find a safe and suitable landing spot due to delay in commissioning the Ameenabad habour.