More than six years after the state government authorities envisaged to set up a "Fisheries Hub" in the coastal belt of Uttan near Bhayandar, the much-needed facility for the fishing community continues to remain in limbo. 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.
FPJ
In Sep 2016, MBMC's general body issued a resolution
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 State Fisheries Development Corporation conducted a detailed study to ascertain the feasibility of the project. The proposed hub had sailed into troubled waters apparently after failing feasibility tests owing to faulty location and ecological and pollution issues.
The panel had not only found the 45 acres (remaining 30 acres occupied for dumping and processing waste) to be small but also raised question marks 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. No further attempts were made by the concerned authorities to relocate the proposed project. This is despite the fact that the fishing community is struggling due to a lack of facilities like platforms to dry the fish, cold storage, proper landing jetties and even rubber fenders to tag the boats safely.
FPJ
"Plots having access to roads having close proximity to the sea, like one located near Tarodi, can be ideal to set up the hub. The administration should try to annex adjacent land parcels so that the proposed fishing hub can easily be turned into a reality," said fishing community leader and working president of the Akhil Maharashtra Machhimaar Kruti Samiti-Bernard D'mello. "We are totally unaware about any new developments related to the revival of the project," said a senior officer attached to the fishery department.
MMRDA was chosen as the SPA for the Gorai-Manori-Uttan belt
Notably, the Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA), which has been appointed as the special planning authority (SPA) for the Gorai-Manori-Uttan belt, had notified 18,341 sqmt of land (privately owned 15,582 and government-owned 2759) in Pali village for facilities like cold storage, fish processing unit and market in its development control regulations (DCR)-2012.
FPJ
However, five coastal villages in Uttan are yet to be incorporated in the latest DP published by the Mira Bhayandar Municipal Corporation (MBMC). The quaint fishing villages, including Uttan, Pali, Dongri, Bhatte Bunder and Chowk, are home to more than 750 boats in the region, which is the sole source of livelihood for a major section of the populace living in the coastal belt.
