Fishermen in Machilipatnam have welcomed the state government’s nod to expanding the fishing harbour. The state government has issued government order number 35 sanctioning Rs 2 crore to start the tender process for harbour expansion works worth Rs 348 crore. Krishna district has a 111km-long coastline. Around 9,000 fishing families from Machlipatnam, Avanigadda and other parts of the district are dependent on this fishing harbour located at Gilakaladindi in Machilipatnam. The fisheries department had proposed modernisation of the harbour in 2010 at an estimated cost of Rs 150 crore. However, the project costs have escalated with delay. Responding to requests from fishermen, minister Perni Venkata Ramiah restarted the project and got it approved from the government. Joint director of fisheries department SK Lal Mohammed said, Harbour dredging, protective wall construction, cold storage facility and others will be part of the development project. Andhra Pradesh Infrastructure Development Corporation will soon call for tenders.