Chhatrapur: A solar-powered dry fish plant in Ganjam district is gathering dust due to lack of maintenance and wrong site selection, a report said. The plant was built 10 years ago at Agastinuagaon under this block to help fishermen in the district prepare dry fish. However, it is lying idle without being put into use. Reports said the objective of the plant was to help fishermen save time and money in preparing dry fish which could have been more otherwise. After its construction, the administration handed over its charge to women self-help groups (SHGs).
The SHGs were asked to prepare dry fish by putting the raw fish collected from the fishermen in the plant. However, a few months after its operation, the plant developed technical snags and became dysfunctional. No step was taken for its repair following which it became redundant.
Sources said this happened as women SHGs were not given adequate training to operate the plant while they also shut down the plant midway as they failed to make any profit.
Later, cyclonic storm Phailin dealt a severe blow to the plant by blowing away its shed in October 2013. Since then authorities have not taken any step to renovate the plant. Local fishermen have demanded that the plant should be renovated and should be shift it to a seaside village for their benefit.