Abandoned fibre boats to be cleared for harbour extension works

The abandoned fibre boats near all fishing harbours in Kozhikode district will soon be cleared as part of measures to expedite various long-pending harbour development projects. Members of harbour development societies and committees have been directed to assess the situation and take immediate action under the supervision of the Fisheries department.

According to the harbour development society and committee members, illegally dumped fibre boats and other scrap materials are occupying large areas that could otherwise be used for key development works. The removal of these materials has been delayed for years, with boat owners citing technical challenges as the reason, they added.

“District Collector Snehil Kumar Singh, who also chairs several harbour management societies, has already issued instructions to the authorities concerned to fast-track the process. Officials from the Department of Fisheries, Harbour Engineering, and Matsyafed have been tasked with overseeing the clean-up,” said a senior member of the harbour development society. Inspections will be conducted at the harbours in Beypore, Puthiyappa, Vellayil, Koyilandy, and Chombala, he said.

The extension of parking and auction hall facilities has been a long-standing demand of fishers at most harbours in the district. However, the lack of adequate space has hindered progress on these fronts. Fisheries department officials said that removing dumped boats and other junk materials from harbours would pave the way for implementing various innovative development projects.

Meanwhile, fishermen from several harbours said that scrap dealers are unwilling to handle broken fibre boats, making their disposal a major challenge. The only viable option, they pointed out, is to crush the boats using heavy machinery and await a scientific disposal solution.

“In Beypore harbour, we have already implemented this method for fibre boats. Discussions are also ongoing to hand over the crushed material to Clean Kerala Company as a long-term solution,” said Karichali Preman, president of the Beypore Harbour Development Committee. He pointed out that the number of abandoned fibre boats is rising in harbours such as Chombala and Puthiyappa due to the technical difficulties in repairing or reselling them.