A portion of the fish-landing jetty lies collapsed in Paradip. Telegraph picture

Paradip, Dec. 30: With the harbour here being hit by sea erosion, the state marine fisheries department has sought technical expertise of the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Chennai, to stem the wear and tear process.

The harbour is exposed to battering of sea following the cave-in of 45-metre-long structure of the fish-landing jetty on November 16. The damaged structure is located near the confluence point of the Mahanadi river and the Bay of Bengal. With the structural damage caused to the jetty, the harbour is exposed to erosion and its safety is also at stake, said an official.

“Measures are on to rebuild the damaged jetty. Engineering wing of the state marine fisheries department has conducted technical inspection of the site. They say the harbour would undergo steady erosion following the intense force exerted by waves during high tide,” said Paradip marine fisheries officer Ranjit Keshari Dash.

Technical advice of the IIT, Chennai, is being sought for the arrest of the sea erosion threat. The institute has conducted similar surveys and technical studies of sea erosion-prone areas of the state, he said.

The attention of the National Fisheries Development Board has also been drawn for expeditious release of grants for the rebuilding of the jetty.

The jetty that had been built in 1996 by Paradip port got considerably enfeebled following Phailin. It had undergone wear and tear process and that resulted in its sudden cave-in.

As collapsed structure is a vital component of the harbour, the department has sought immediate fiscal assistance for rebuilding of the structure. A team of technical experts from state marine fisheries department has assessed the damage and their findings have been submitted to the state government. Preliminary estimate is being pegged at Rs 10 crore, said an official.

In another development, the Rs 4.75 crore-worth project for improved sanitation and hygiene of the harbour has got under way by the Union agriculture ministry. At present, the fish auction hall is being renovated under the said grants. The work is nearing completion. In the next phase, the effluent treatment system will be refurbished to improve sanitation standard of the harbour, he said.

In September 2011, the harbour came under the administrative control of the state marine fisheries department. Prior to that, it was under dual control of the Paradip Port Trust and the marine fisheries department.