The Asian Development Bank (ADB) has approved a $5-million grant to help fishing communities and others in Kerala and Tamil Nadu, who were affected by the December 2004 tsunami.
The grant project from the Japan Fund for Poverty Reduction, financed by the Government of Japan, will pilot new ways to generate income in the fishing communities in selected districts in both States.
The Government, non-Governmental organisations and beneficiaries will contribute the equivalent of $7,00,000 toward the projects total cost of $5.7 million. Keralas Department of Disaster Management and the Disaster Management and Mitigation Department in Tamil Nadu are the executing agencies of the project, which will be carried out over three years.
As part of the project, a fully serviced fishing village complex will be set up and will serve as a model for replication in other districts. The fishing village will support a range of fishing-related activities such as fish curing, vending, marketing and trading, and even ice production and supply. The village will also nurture fish processing and marketing through special outlets, as well as new low-energy fish processing techniques and coastal market infrastructure for hygienic fish marketing. In addition, cooperative retail outlets will be established.
As part of an effort to diversify livelihood activities for about 5,000 people, the project will restore 1,000 acres of small farmlands, establish small-scale dairies with market links, develop organic vegetable farms, establish agro-processing cooperatives and provide training to improve the production process of traditional products.
Activities such as inland aquaculture farms for breeding high value fish and cage farming in the backwaters will also be supported to provide long-term jobs for about 1,000 people and increase fish production.
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| Posted : 7/15/2006 |
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