Separate jetty for country boats at Bengre

aaron, Sep 18, 2019, 8:12 AM IST

Mangaluru: Even while jetty expansion work is being conducted in Mangaluru to accommodate fishing boats, a separate project has been created or the docking of country boats at Bengre are of the city.

The project has been undertaken by the Ports & Inland Water Transport Department under the NABARD 24 scheme of the fisheries department. Approval for the project cost Rs 3.37 crore has already been given. Technical approval is awaited. The aim is to build a separate berth for country boats next to the third berth being built at Bengre area.

Since many years, country boat fishermen from Bengre area have been trying to garner the attention of the administration system through leaders towards the lack of proper facility for the docking of country boats within Mangaluru Bunder limits.

But no proper response was provided to this issue. Now that the department has come forward for the possible construction of a separate jetty for country boats has created much happiness among the fishermen.

The new jetty will be around 80 M wide and 100 M long. Country boats can be berthed here in a single file and goal model dredging will be used here to provide importance for the docking of the country boats. As many as 100 country boats can be docked here.

150 country boats

Currently, there are 150 country boats within Bengre limits.  During the monsoon season when mechanized fishing is banned, the country boats come out for fishing which is carried out within 20 km range of the sea. During other times, the use gill net for fishing. The also carryout fishing in the river as well. But such boats find it really difficult to get a location to dock. They are usually docked beside the ferry jetty at Bengre. The boats are puled ashore and tied with ropes.

The aim is to construct an artificial anchorage for country boats beside Bengre at Mangaluru Fisheries Port. Approval has already been given for the Rs 3.37 crore project and is currently awaiting technical approval – Sujan Chandra Rao, AEE, Ports and Fisheries Department, Mangaluru