More than six years after the state government authorities planned to set up a ‘Fisheries Hub’ in the Uttana coastal belt near Bhayandar, the much-needed facility for the fishing community still remains in limbo. Listed with state-of-the-art equipment that enables long-term and short-term cold storage, fish processing and packaging, logistical arrangements for transportation, modern markets, the project was planned on a 75-acre plot of land in the premises of an existing waste and garbage processing plant. dumping ground at Dhaavgi village in Uttan.
In September 2016, the general authority of MBMC issued a decision
A resolution to this effect was passed in the general body of the Mira Bhayandar Municipal Corporation (MBMC) in September 2016, after which a committee set up by the Department of Fisheries under the auspices of the Maharashtra State Fisheries Development Corporation conducted a detailed study to determine the feasibility of the project. The proposed hub has run into troubled waters, apparently after failing feasibility tests due to the wrong location and ecological and pollution issues.
The Commission not only found the 45 hectares (the remaining 30 hectares occupied for waste disposal and processing) to be small, but also raised questions about the location away from the sea, which was aggravated by the stench emanating from the landfill, a proposed fishing hub and an unrealistic project to count on. The concerned authorities made no further attempts to postpone the proposed project. This is despite the fact that the fishing community is struggling with a lack of facilities such as fish drying platforms, cold storage facilities, proper landing jetties and even rubber fenders to safely mark boats.
“Plots with road access in close proximity to the sea, such as the one located near Tarodi, can be ideal for setting up a hub. The administration should try to connect neighboring land plots so that the proposed fishing center can easily become a reality,” said fishing community leader and working president of Akhil Maharashtra Machhimaar Kruti Samiti-Bernard D’mello. “We are completely unaware of any new developments regarding the revival of the project,” said a senior officer of the fisheries department.
MMRDA has been selected as SPA for Gorai-Manori-Uttan belt
The Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA), which has been designated as the Special Planning Authority (SPA) for the Gorai-Manori-Uttan belt, has notified 18,341 square meters of land (15,582 privately owned and 2759 government owned) in Vas Pali for facilities like cold storage, fish processing unit and market in its Development Control Regulations (DCR)-2012.
However, five coastal villages in Uttan are yet to be included in the latest DP released by the Mira Bhayandar Municipal Corporation (MBMC). Quaint fishing villages including Uttan, Pali, Dongri, Bhatte Bunder and Chowk are home to more than 750 boats in the region, which is the only source of livelihood for a major part of the population living in the coastal belt.