Tarun Karthick
Port Blair, 22 August 2023
In a significant boost to the local fishing community, a brand-new 5 MT Ice-Plant and 10 MT Cold Storage facility have been officially unveiled at the Fish Landing Jetty in Junglighat. This essential infrastructure, constructed by the Fisheries Department, aims to serve the needs of the hardworking fisherfolk of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands.
The inauguration ceremony was graced by the presence of Mr. G. Sudhakar, IAS, Secretary (Fisheries) of the Andaman and Nicobar Administration, who unveiled the commemorative plaque at the Fish Landing Centre. Accompanying him were key dignitaries including Mr. Vikram Singh, Director (Fisheries), Mr. Y. Joga Rao, Ward Councilor, Mr. U. Maheshwar Rao, Member of the National Fisheries Development Board (NFDB) Governing Body, and officials from the Andaman Public Works Department (APWD), Fisheries Department, as well as members of the local fishing community.
The newly established 10 MT Cold Storage Unit is equipped with dual units to ensure continuous operation even in the event of one unit failing. Additionally, the cold room features specially designed racks to optimise storage space efficiently.
A highlight of the project is the 5 MT Containerised Ice Plant unit, which has the capacity to produce an impressive 54 ice blocks, each weighing 50 kilograms, in just 10 hours. This means it can generate a total of 108 ice blocks per day. The primary objective of this initiative is to provide ice and cold storage facilities right at the doorstep of marginalised fishermen and women in the region.
The local fishing community in Junglighat and its neighbouring areas stands to benefit immensely from the commissioning of this state-of-the-art facility. Notably, the Fisheries Department has already established similar Ice Plants at various strategic locations, including Campbell Bay, Chunnabhatta, Mayabunder, Hut Bay, and Rangat. Cold storage facilities have also been set up at Campbell Bay, Car Nicobar, Hut Bay, Port Blair, and Rangat.
The inaugural ceremony concluded with a vote of thanks extended by Mr. Tapan Kumar Biswas, Assistant Director of Fisheries at the Zonal Fisheries Office, South Andaman.