Silvester D'Souza
Daijiworld Media Network - Kundapur (EP)

Kundapur, Oct 18: The construction of the fisheries jetty at Kodi had started during the first week of November 2014 and is scheduled to be finished by February 2016. However, looking at the slow progress of the work, it may not be ready even after the deadline. Even though funds were released twice for the project, the jetty seems to be a distant reality.

The place is plagued by problems of sea erosion on one hand and CRZ issues on the other. While one can be proud that the decades-old dream of Kodi bridge, connecting Kodi to Kundapur has materialized, the Church road that runs from the bridge to the heart of Kundapur city has collapsed, rendering this road of little use. The development of the ring road connecting Kundapur city also has also come to a halt.

Fishing is the main occupation of residents of Kodi. Nearly 70 fishing boats return every day after fishing here. Following demands by the fishermen, an amount of Rs 4 crore was released for the construction of a 50 meter long jetty. However, no material other than pipes for dredging were bought before the monsoons. The contractor who was awarded the tender, the department, and the people representatives have not made up their minds for the implementation of the project even after release of funds one year ago. However, after protests by Kodi Fishermen's Jetty Construction Action Ccommittee, the work finally started, but it is progressing at snail's pace as the foundation is incomplete. The workers also are in a dilemma as they can do such work only during low tide.

The tragedy is that just four months ahead of the deadline, it is now evident that the original project plan was not correct. It is said that a new plan to heighten the jetty wall is being prepared, making the present work obsolete. The fishermen are asking how many more years would it take to construct the jetty which will allow them to anchor their boats.

Fishermen are now bring their boats upto a distance of 350 m on Kodi shore. However, they are facing difficulties such as sand, high tide, and low tides that damage the boats. A boat belonging to Nagesh Poojary placed on the shore had toppled last year causing a loss of Rs 50,000. The temporary planks tied to climb into the boats break twice a week. The fishermen have patiently faced these problems.

Kodi was a commercial center after Independence. Large boats called Berin transporting salt and other items were getting anchored here.

Fishermen usually leave at dawn and reach back at dusk making it difficult to meet the officials and people's representatives to explain their plight. They incur huge losses even if they refrain from fishing for a day. All they can do is wait for the jetty.