Second-phase development of Koyilandy fishing harbour nearing completion

The second-phase development of the Koyilandy fishing harbour project is nearing completion. The project is being executed at a cost of ₹26.78 crore under the Pradhan Mantri Matsya Sampada Yojana (PMMSY), with the amount shared between the Union and State governments in a 60:40 ratio.

A. Satheesan, assistant executive engineer, Harbour Engineering department, said almost all the works, except the installation of CCTV cameras, have been completed. He added that the date for the official inauguration would be announced soon.

The second-phase development includes a 100-metre-long and 7.5-metre-wide finger jetty, which will allow fishing boats to berth on both sides, a road to the jetty, rest areas for fishermen, a net-mending shed, an administrative building, renovation of the auction hall, modernisation of the fish landing centre, a cold storage unit, a pressurised water system for cleaning, a new parking area adjoining the southern breakwater, and beautification of the harbour. The works were carried out at a cost of around ₹20.90 crore.

With the number of fishing boats and vessels operating from Koyilandy harbour increasing, vessels currently have to wait to land their catch. The finger jetty and parking area have been developed to address this problem. Officials said there were plans to entrust the day-to-day operation of the cold storage unit to Matsyafed. The facility can store up to 10 tonnes of fish and can be used to preserve high-value fish when landings are particularly large.

The second-phase project also included a ₹5.88 crore dredging work, which was completed more than a year ago.

The project was virtually launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in August 2024 and was originally expected to be completed within 18 months.