Daijiworld Media Network – Mangalore (SP)
Mangalore, Mar 15: The dispute that had arisen between the fishermen and the management of the GMR Company, which used to operate a barge-mounted power plant here,over the dredging operation to clear the silt accumulated near the estuary, ended on a happy note, after the district deputy commissioner, V Ponnuraj, mediated between the groups. The meeting, which was held from 10.30 am to 1.15 pm on Sunday March 14 at the office of the deputy commissioner of the district, succeeded in striking a compromise between the parties concerned.
With this, the barge of the company is ready to leave the city shores. In all likelihood, it will be released of its moorings and then attached to the mother ship on Monday itself. The company authorities have said that the plant, which hitherto produced power by using naphtha, will use natural gas as fuel at Kakinada, its destination.
The company has agreed to complete the dredging work it has commenced at the estuary, which will be guided and overseen by fishermen representatives. The company has agreed to provide bank guarantee to the district administration for an amount of two crore rupees, which is four times the estimated cost of dredging operations, as a cover in case of its failure to complete the dredging. The company also will keep all the documents relating to the dredging machine and the exit pass till the work is completed satisfactorily.
GMR Company managing director, V K Rao, chairman, B V N Rao, fishermen leaders, Umesh Karkera, Navin Karkera, Navin Bangera, Deepak Shriyan, port officer, Capt Mohan Kudari and Suresh Kumar of the fisheries department were present. The fishermen explained that the silt discharged during the dredging activity is being dumped on the western side, which gets washed into the water during high tide. They wanted the silt to be discharged on the southern side by using pipelines.