Talks on for implementation of Chellanam model fishing village project

Focus on livelihood issues, including integrated rice and fish farming in pokkali fields, and better infrastructure for fish preservation

Discussions are on for the implementation of the Chellanam model fishing village project, a blueprint of which was submitted to the State government by the Kerala University of Fisheries and Ocean Studies (Kufos) in August last year.

Work on one of the infrastructure components of the project, building sea protection wall using tetrapods, is complete. Sources said the focus was on livelihood issues, including integrated rice and fish farming in pokkali fields, and better infrastructure for fish preservation among others.

Building of a tetrapod wall along the coast of Chellanam was among the general proposals submitted by Kufos to the government. The integrated fisheries village programme will directly address issues in food production, better infrastructure, and other facilities.

It was initially proposed that ₹941 crore would go into the model fishing village project, to be completed over a period of three years. The investments will include nearly ₹200 crore in a solid waste management facility. A college and a vocational higher secondary school too were proposed for the fishing village.

Sources said financing the projects was the key issue being discussed.

Meanwhile, one of the proposals for the model fishing village project is to encourage and develop fish culture in sea water. The possibility of marine fish culture and cage farming using calmer waters between groynes built as a sea protection measure was being explored, said sources.