Sea Ambulance to become operational in Mangaluru from August: Mankal Vaidya

Mangaluru: Minister for Fisheries Mankal Vaidya said the sea ambulance is likely to become operational in August. Tenders have already been floated for a sea ambulance service, which will help in responding immediately to emergencies and health-related issues.

Vaidya was inaugurating the ice plant facility at the new building of Bahar-e-Noor, a unit under the Mangaluru Coastal Minority Fishermen’s Primary Cooperative Society, near the main gate of the Fisheries Harbour on Saturday.

A tender worth Rs 80 crore has been called for the third phase development of the Fisheries Harbour in Mangaluru and other associated development works.

Another tender has been called for dredging work. The state government has increased the diesel quota from 1.5 lakh litres to 2 lakh litres for fishermen, and steps have been taken to enable its usage within a five-month period, the minister added.

Legislative Assembly Speaker UT Khader inaugurated the new building of Bahar-e-Noor and emphasised the need to formulate a comprehensive fisheries policy for Karnataka’s coastal region. This would help plan supportive measures for the future of fishermen in the coastal belt.

He said, “Today, even people who haven’t seen the sea own boats. However, along with good fishing practices, fishermen must also take responsibility for conserving water and marine life. They must also prevent activities like catching juvenile fish to preserve marine wealth for future generations.”

He stressed that fisheries organisations must shape guidelines to conserve fish wealth, and fishermen should build a harmonious society through unity and positive thinking.

To reduce congestion of boats at the Mangaluru fisheries harbour, a mini fishing jetty will be built at Kotekar at a cost of Rs 5 crore. Additionally, approval has been granted for constructing a fisheries bridge between Bolar and Kotepura at a cost of Rs 200 crore, he said.

Director of the Fisheries Department Dinesh Kumar K stated that support under the Matsya Sampada Scheme will be examined for the newly inaugurated ice plant facility. He also mentioned that the third phase of the harbour work and other projects will begin soon.

MLA Vedavyas Kamath said that tenders for dredging under the Sagarmala scheme were floated nine times. Although the third phase of the harbour project was sanctioned two years ago, work is yet to begin, he pointed out.