Daijiworld Media Network - Chennai
Chennai, Dec 25: Development works at the fish landing centre in Chandirapadi village of Tamil Nadu’s Tharangambadi region are progressing at a brisk pace, with officials indicating that the project is likely to be completed by March 2026—well ahead of its original deadline of December next year.
The ?32-crore project is being executed under the National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD) scheme through the Fisheries and Fishermen Welfare Department. Its objective is to enhance coastal safety and upgrade fish landing facilities for the local fishing community that relies heavily on the Nandalar estuary for daily operations.
Chandirapadi is a traditional fishing village with nearly 2,900 fisherfolk engaged in marine fishing, operating 13 mechanised boats and over 200 fibre boats. The estuary and its associated infrastructure play a crucial role in sustaining livelihoods in the area.
According to T. Gowthaman, Assistant Engineer with the Fisheries Department, the project includes the construction of stone-pitched river training walls measuring 260 metres on the southern bank and 220 metres on the northern bank, a 60-metre-long boat berthing jetty, and dredging of approximately 96,250 cubic metres to improve navigability and safety for fishing vessels.
Launched in February 2025, the project has already achieved close to 75 per cent physical progress. “The jetty construction is currently in progress. Dredging work is expected to begin within the next month. So far, around 235 metres of the southern wall and 205 metres of the northern wall have been completed,” Gowthaman said.
Earlier, a fish landing centre costing Rs 10 crore was inaugurated in the village on August 20, 2024. That facility included a 75-metre boat berthing jetty, a fish auction hall, a net-mending shed, internal road connectivity, and dredging of 50,000 cubic metres at the river mouth. Following feedback from fishermen, the present phase of expansion and strengthening works was approved.
Local fishermen have expressed satisfaction with the speed of construction, noting that the upgraded facility will significantly ease their operational challenges. “Currently, we have to anchor our boats at Poompuhar and Tirumullaivasal, which means extra travel and cost. Once this centre becomes fully functional, most of our problems will be solved,” said Martin, a fisherman from Chandirapadi.
Officials also noted progress on another long-pending demand of villagers—the construction of short groynes along the coastline to curb sea erosion. The proposal is currently awaiting a bathymetry survey by a team from IIT Madras, which is expected to be conducted in January 2026.