Puducherry Lieutenant Governor K. Kailashnathan, along with Ministers from the Puducherry Government, during the virtual inauguration of the new phase of the fishing harbour project in Karaikal.
| Photo Credit: Special arrangement
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday virtually unveiled the foundation for the Smart and Integrated Fishing Harbour Development Project in Karaikal district under the Pradhan Mantri Matsya Sampada Yojana (PMMSY).
The Karaikal fishing harbour, constructed at an estimated cost of ₹47.74 crore in 2012, is currently facing severe congestion as mechanised boats are parked in three to four layers owing to an increase in both the number and size of vessels. The harbour currently has basic infrastructure including guard rooms, workshops, administrative offices, restaurants, toilets, restrooms, berthing facilities, auction halls, net mending sheds, sewage treatment units, ice plants and fish processing units.
Amid increasing demand, the Puducherry government has been pursuing the expansion and modernisation of the fishing harbour, resulting in an administrative approval from the Centre for the new project at an estimated cost of ₹130 crore. The project aims to promote sustainable and responsible fisheries development as part of the Blue Revolution and will address the space crunch by developing the northern bank of the Mullaiyar for mechanised fishing boats and the southern bank for motorised fibre-reinforced plastic boats.
Pilot location
Karaikal has been chosen as one of the pilot locations in the country for the Smart and Integrated Fishing Harbour initiative.
The development will include infrastructure such as guard rooms, ramps, repair yards, auction halls, sewage treatment facilities, IoT-based monitoring, satellite communication, and cybersecurity measures. The plan also covers renewable energy systems such as solar power installations, modern fish handling systems, and effluent treatment plants.
After completion, the upgraded harbour can accommodate around 250 mechanised and 1,000 motorised boats, while creating significant direct and indirect employment opportunities for the local fishing community.
At an event organised at the National Institute of Technology (NIT) campus in Karaikal, Puducherry Lieutenant Governor K. Kailashnathan participated and offered greetings. Union Minister for Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying Rajiv Ranjan Singh attended the event via video conference.
The gathering was attended by Ministers K. Lakshminarayanan, C. Djeacoumar, P.R.N. Thirumurugan, MP S. Selvak Ganapathy, Speaker Embalam R. Selvam, Deputy Speaker P. Rajavelu, MLA M. Nagathiyagarajan, D. Manikandan, Secretary to the Lieutenant Governor and Secretary, Fisheries Department, Puducherry and Karaikal District Collector A.S.P.S. Ravi Prakash.
Published – October 11, 2025 10:34 pm IST
