Now, fishery hub hits troubled waters

Two years after it was envisaged by the state government in 2016, the much hyped ‘Fishery Hub’, which was supposed to come up in the coastal area of Uttan near Bhayandar, has sailed into troubled waters apparently after failing feasibility tests owing to faulty location, ecological and pollution issues.

Listed with state of the art amenities facilitating long and short-term cold storages, processing and packaging of fish, logistical arrangements for transportation, modern markets, the project was planned on the 75-acre plot in the premise of the existing waste process plant and garbage dumping ground in Uttan’s Dhaavgi village.

A resolution to this effect was passed in the general body of the Mira Bhayandar Municipal Corporation (MBMC) in September, 2016, following which a panel instituted by the Fisheries Department under the aegis of the Maharashtra

A panel has found the 45acre land allotted for the hub to be small. It also raised questions on the location which is away from the sea, compounded by the stench emanating from the dumping yard

State Fisheries Development Corporation, conducted a detailed study to ascertain the feasibility of the project.

According to highly placed sources, the panel has not only found the 45acre (remaining 30 acres occupied for dumping and processing waste) to be small, but has also raised questions on the location which is away from the sea, compounded by the stench emanating from the dumping yard, rendering the proposed fishing hub and unrealistic project to bank upon.

“A road touch plot in Uttan, having proximity to the sea has been earmarked to house cold storage facilities, if we could annex adjacent land parcels in the upcoming development plan, a fishing hub could easily come up,” suggested local corporator Sharmila BagajiGandoli.

Though civic officials said that they were aware about the developments, but were yet to receive any official intimation in this context from the fisheries department.