Paradip: The navigational channel with 1km length and 100 metre width at the Mahanadi river mouth carried out by the Dredging Corporation of India Ltd was completed February 26 last.
Disclosing this to newsmen, Paradip Port Trust Chairman Rinkesh Ray Monday appealed to the local fishermen to use the designated channel and not use any short-cut while venturing into the sea.
Marine department of PPT has already installed four temporary buoys in the channel with proper marking, Ray said, adding 3.5 metre depth is maintained in the designated channel of the river mouth even during the low tide.
Senior Hydrographic Surveyor of PPT will conduct a training programme regarding GPS coordination with proper latitude and longitude with the fishermen tomorrow.
Ray cautioned that fishing trawlers not following the designated channel will be at risk of stranding.
The Integrated Fishery Harbour is operational at Paradip located on the right bank of Mahanadi about 1km upstream of the river mouth, for which maintenance dredging is required at regular intervals.
The fishery harbour is presently managed by the Odisha Fisheries Department. The local fishing community has been facing difficulties as the river mouth has been silted up over the years and the fishing vessels face hindrance to navigate during approach/exit from the fishery harbour.
The Mahanadi river mouth was last dredged almost 20 years back.
UNI