Karnataka Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar has ordered a report into the disruption of fish trade during his early-morning visit to Mangaluru’s fishing harbour and sought action on silt accumulation that fishermen say is affecting boat movement and safety at the Netravati-Phalguni estuary mouth.
Shivakumar spent nearly two hours at the harbour, locally known as Bunder, on Saturday, speaking with fishermen, fisherwomen, traders and officials. Fishing boats were returning with fresh catch, fish auctions were beginning and traders were preparing for the day when the Chief Minister arrived with Minister U.T. Khader and other leaders.
The day’s trade had apparently been stopped because of the visit. Shivakumar directed officials to restart the activity, saying the Chief Minister’s presence should not affect the livelihoods of fishermen and traders. He later said he had asked the Deputy Commissioner and the City Police Commissioner to submit a report on why harbour operations had come to a standstill.
“If officials are responsible, I have asked them to be placed under suspension. If this was done to conceal irregularities, I will take appropriate action,” Shivakumar told the media, according to the report. He also said he had come to understand ground realities and did not require security for the visit.
Fishermen raised several operational problems, including a shortage of berthing space for smaller boats. The harbour currently has docking facilities for around 200 boats, and fishermen suggested that additional docks could accommodate more vessels. They said this would require dredging of the river stretches and the estuary mouth.
The fishermen told the Chief Minister that dredging had not been carried out for about three decades. Shivakumar later said he had been informed that silt had not been removed from the estuary mouth for around 35 years, making the issue a safety concern for boats entering and leaving the harbour.
Officials also pointed to sand accumulation along the harbour bank. Proposed measures included removing the accumulated material and installing channel-marking buoys to identify deeper sections and improve navigation. Different options for handling dredged sand were discussed, including releasing it into the sea and widening the area.
Shivakumar said a Central technical committee was expected to advise on the dredging issue. He said the state would decide whether to obtain a lease for the process or purchase machinery and boats to remove the silt. He also noted that the government had earlier undertaken dredging directly, but that system no longer existed.
During the visit, the Chief Minister boarded the fishing boat JN Kripa and travelled from the wharf towards the river mouth, entering the sea before returning to the harbour. Fishermen and officials used the journey to point out areas affected by silt and explain the difficulties faced by boats.
Shivakumar also warned against illegal activity at the harbour, saying he had noticed roads being blocked and compounds allegedly constructed illegally. The next steps are the reports from the Deputy Commissioner and City Police Commissioner, along with technical advice on the proposed dredging arrangements.
