KOZHIKODE: Seafood lovers in the district will soon be able to shop in clean surroundings. It is after years of delay caused by procedural wrangles between the Fisheries department and the Corporation and Municipality, the modern hygienic fish market in the district is finally happening.
For more than five years, the fishermen community has been demanding and even organising protests for improvements in the existing fish markets in the district. All the fish markets here have been battling for survival without any facilities. The one space allotted to Koyilandy fish market, however was allocated to the Koyilandy bus stand, due to the delay of more than 5 years in starting work on the fish market.
“As per the plan, a new complex will be built in the existing fish market at Koyilandy which will cater to the needs of fishermen from several coastal villages in the District”, said MLA K Dasan.
The complex will have different stalls with cold storage facilities and separate areas for processing and cutting fish. An ice plant within this complex under the ownership of the Municipality is also planned, so that chemical-free ice to store fish can be guaranteed, he added.
“The detailed project report for the modern fish market has been already sent to the fisheries department”, said Corporation Mayor Thottathil Raveendran. After inspecting the Nadakavu fish market and the central market here, a plan has been designed to accommodate facilities in the complex including effluent treatment plant, auction hall for fish, 10- tone capacity ice plant and an ATM counter. The treatment plant would treat waste collected from the market, he added.
In the first phase Rs 25 lakh has been sanctioned and later the rest of the amount will be sanctioned by the Government.
