Mangaluru: Aimed at reducing traffic congestion and overcrowding at the fishing harbour in Bunder, preparations for a detailed project report (DPR) to establish a well-equipped fish market in Yekkur are currently underway. Simultaneously, the process of transferring land from the College of Fisheries to the fisheries department has gained momentum.The state cabinet has already approved the development of a state-of-the-art wholesale fish market with allied facilities on approximately three acres belonging to the College of Fisheries in Yekkur at an estimated cost of Rs 30 crore. The proposed facility is expected to ease pressure on the existing harbour market and provide better infrastructure for fish trade.Fisheries department secretary R Vinoth Priya, director Dineshkumar Kaller, along with other officials from the fisheries and ports departments, conducted a site inspection and held discussions with the dean of the Fisheries College. Manohar Acharya, assistant director, ports department, told TOI that the Fisheries College has already consented to provide the land, and the formal transfer process to the fisheries department is now in progress.According to officials, more than 250 insulated vehicles arrive at the Mangaluru fishing harbour daily from neighbouring states such as Keralam, Tamil Nadu, Maharashtra, Gujarat, Odisha, and Andhra Pradesh. From here, the fish is supplied to Bengaluru and various other districts and taluks. Previously, fresh fish sales and commission-based fish trading in Dakshina Kannada district were conducted near the State Bank area. Currently, these trading activities are managed by associations in the northern part of the Mangaluru fishing harbour in Bunder. This has been causing severe bottlenecks at the entry and exit gates of the market and the harbour, officials said.Fishermen leader Chethan Bengre said that the continuous movement of fish-laden containers, trucks, and other vehicles in the dock area has also led to persistent hygiene issues. “We hope that establishing a wholesale fish market in Ekkur will provide a lasting solution to the traffic and sanitation problems at the Mangaluru fishing dock,” he said.Facilities planned at the Ekkur* Fish market area/platforms* Double-lane concrete road* Wholesale vendors fish stall* Public toilet block* Cold storage unit* Ice plants* Administrative block* Pump and water sump* Trucks, other vehicles parking* Water treatment plant of 200 KLD capacity* Gardening, beautification* CCTV security system* Conveyor for fish crates handling
