Paradip: The Paradip Port Trust chairman, Rinkesh Roy has urged the local fishermen to use the designated channel instead of any short cut route while venturing into the sea.
Roy, cautioned that fishing trawlers not following the designated channel will be at risk of stranding.
Roy, while addressing a presser, here on Monday, said that the of dredging operations at Mahanadi River Mouth has been successfully completed.
The navigational channel having 1Km length and 100 meter width was carried out by the dredger of Dredging Corporation of India Ltd. Marine department of PPT has already installed 4 temporary buoys in the channel with proper marking, which is clearly visible.
Roy informed that 3.5 meters depth is maintained in the designated channel of the river mouth even during the low tide. To impart training to the fishermen, Sr. Hydrographic Surveyor of PPT will conduct a training programme regarding GPS Co-ordination with proper latitude and longitude tomorrow.
It may be noted that the Integrated Fishery Harbour is operational at Paradip located in the right bank of Mahanadi River about 1km upstream of the river mouth, for which maintenance dredging is required in regular intervals. The fishery harbour is presently managed by the Odisha State government fisheries department. The local fishing community has been facing difficulties as the river mouth has been silted up over the years and the fishing vessels face hindrance to navigate during approach/exit from the fishery harbour. The Mahanadi River Mouth was last dredged almost 20 years back.
