What if you get a fresh fish available in an environment where there are no flies or dirty drainsIJ You would obviously prefer going there instead of any roadside fish markets. But there are something more in store for the consumers.
The Hygienic Fish Market developed at Dhurwa besides maintaining basic facilities for fish lovers would also make nature’s lovers happy. If officials of the fisheries department are to believe the fancy looking building is also green in nature.
“The building has been constructed using eco-friendly resources and would function like that. The roof of the building is made of cement but it has two ducts for exhaust fans. These exhaust fans will help in keeping the room hot when the climate is cold outside and vice-versa without using air-conditioner. It will also help in keeping the flies away. There will be low use of power,” Fisheries Department Deputy Director Ashish Kumar said on Sunday.
Also the building would change the filthy and stinking image of fish markets. “Solid and liquid wastes of the fishes will be released to the drain after it is treated by the Effluent Treatment Plant being set up near the premises of the building. The unsold fishes will be preserved in cold storage so that their freshness remains the same till the next day when it is sold,” Kumar added.
Fishes brought from Andhra Pradesh, West Bengal and Bihar at city’s fish wholesale hub Mallah Toli (near Daily Market) will be shifted to this market. As a result, wholesalers and retailers related to the business of fishes will get chance of selling their fishes in a clean environment.
“Presently, Mallah Toli is the wholesale market for purchasing fishes early morning. Extension of this market has created troubles for the locals. It is difficult to bear the fish smell and manage the traffic. So, we decided to start a market where residents can avail fresh fishes in a reasonable rate without any haze. Our green building and adequate parking space will no more give residents a chance to complain. We will provide 21 wholesale stalls and 13 retails stalls,” said Kumar.
An officer of the concerned department visited Nellore, a city in Andhra Pradesh where a Hygienic Fish Market is already functioning to see the concept in the month of April.
Interestingly, a kiosk is also being made behind the building wherein cutlets and other snacks made of fresh fishes will be served to the customers. “We are planning to open two food joints at the top floor of the building,” an official said.
The market will also give a hassle-free money exchange atmosphere for the fish sellers. Fisheries department will soon invite banks to open their branch in the building so that the wholesalers and retailers can deposit their daily income and withdraw the same from ATM established here.
A sum of around Rs3.54 crore is being utilized for the plan of which National Board of Fisheries Development has contributed Rs1.53 crore. ‘The building was inaugurated by Fisheries Minister Mannan Mallick on August 29 and is expected to be functional by December,” informed an officer.