Daijiworld Media Network - Kundapur (SP)

Kundapur, Nov 12: The repair of the jetty at Gangolli fisheries port which crashed two years back, and also the repair of the auction yard have been long neglected. Now, even the slabs of the drain near the jetty are crumbling.

The jetty and the auction yard to the south of the fisheries port at Gangolli had crashed more than two years ago. Therefore, fishing activities in this portion of the port have been restricted. About half of the 402 metre-long jetty has crashed and fishing activities are performed now in the other half. Now, slabs of the drain located in the jetty area that is being used by the fishermen are crashing. This has been happening after the fishing showed signs of recovery after facing reverses due to corona-related lockdown. The jetty slabs at the place where fishing activities are taking place are also falling. The slabs covering the drains too are falling down one by one.

Thousands of fishermen and businessmen visit the fisheries port at Gangolli on a daily basis. Several tourists also come to the port to have a look. This area is always crowded. The crumbling of the drain slabs has therefore worried the local fishermen. Fishing activity is suffering because of this. People have to tread cautiously when in this area. About a year back, a tourist who came to the port had fallen into the drain after a slab gave way.

The fishermen have urged the department to repair the crashed slabs before such incidents recur.

Executive engineer in the ports and fisheries department Uday Kumar says that the government has sanctioned Rs 12 crore for the repair of the collapsed jetty including the drain repairs. He said that a tender process has been completed and sent to the government for technical approval. He said the works are expected to begin shortly.

Fishermen leader Ramappa Kharvi says that the crashed jetty and crumbling slabs are creating hurdles in the fishing activities. Noting that the situation is prone to danger, he demanded the immediate repair of the crashed slabs of drains.