Panadura fisheries harbour Southern breakwater opens on June 7

Ridma Dissanayake

Fisheries and Aquatic Resources Development Minister Rajitha Senaratne will open the Southern breakwater of the Panadura fisheries harbour on June 7.

The Panadura fishery harbour was damaged in the 2004 tsunami. It was reconstructed with Chinese financial assistance. Infrastructure facilities within the harbour were improved under this project for which China spent Rs 550 million.

In response to requests made by fishermen to protect their vessels from the rough waves entering the harbour basin, Minister Senaratne had instructed the Ceylon Fisheries Harbour Corporation to widen the breakwater by 200 metres.

The China Harbour Engineering Company had started this project in 2010 with Chinese financial support. They had spent Rs 290 million on the first part of this project and it had now been completed.

Fishermen around Colombo port who had to go to Mutwal and Beruwala harbours to anchor their vessel, can now use the Panadura harbour as an intermediate harbour, sources said.