Puthiyappa boat maintenance yard project yet to take off

Maintenance work in progress at a private boat repair yard near Beypore in Kozhikode on Wednesday. | Photo Credit: K. Ragesh A proposal to establish a public-sector boat maintenance yard at Puthiyappa harbour, which had raised hopes among hundreds of mechanised fishing boat owners in the district, is yet to take off, leaving operators dependent on private facilities for repairs and maintenance.The Harbour Engineering department had earlier submitted a ₹19-crore proposal for a fully equipped maintenance yard at Puthiyappa. The project had also received the Fisheries department’s backing, with assurances that steps would be taken for its speedy implementation. However, the proposal has remained a pipe dream, with no field-level study or fund sanction having materialised so far.“The continued delay has become a concern for boat owners, particularly as the Fisheries department is now undertaking fitness inspections of mechanised fishing boats for safety reasons,” said Abdul Azeez, a boat owner from Beypore. In the absence of a government facility, operators are forced to depend on the limited capacity of a few private maintenance yards at Beypore, he said, adding that major repair works often had to be entrusted to establishments in Kochi.According to the Fishing Boat Operators Association, the problem is particularly acute during the annual trawl ban. Boat owners at Puthiyappa need special permission from the Fisheries department to move their boats to Beypore for maintenance. Since such permissions are generally issued only a few weeks before the ban ends, operators say there is limited time to complete repairs and obtain fitness clearance before fishing operations resume.“The proposed facility at Puthiyappa was envisaged as a modern maintenance yard capable of catering to fishing vessels from Kozhikode and other parts of the Malabar region,” recalled Mohammed Rasheed, a boat owner from Puthiyappa. According to him, boat owners had welcomed the proposal, pointing out that a government-run facility could provide more affordable repair services and reduce their dependence on private yards.As Kozhikode district has a large mechanised fishing fleet, the proposed yard is expected to benefit thousands of fishers. Earlier, a boat repair facility was available at Beypore for emergency repairs. However, inadequate maintenance and the absence of timely upgrades eventually led to its closure. The site was subsequently taken over by the Coast Guard, leaving boat operators dependent on private agencies.“Most boat owners in the district now have to depend on the limited services available at three private maintenance yards at Beypore. For major repairs, we usually have to approach a unit in Kochi,” said a boat owner and member of the Kerala State Fishing Boat Operators Association. He pointed out that the proposed maintenance yard at Puthiyappa would mainly address difficulties involved in taking boats to distant centres for major maintenance.Meanwhile, Fisheries department officials said they were yet to get any fresh communication related to the proposed maintenance yard project. They said the demands of boat owners would be taken up with the higher authorities for action. Published - September 30, 2026 07:43 pm IST