Twelve companies have sought allocation of industrial plots at the Seaweed Park being established at Manganur in Gandharvakottai taluk in Pudukottai district.

The park is being established on 75 hectares of land at a cost of ₹38 crore under the Pradhan Mantri Matsya Sampada Yojana (PMMSY).

A total of 91 plots are being developed at the park including 63 under phase I. They will have amenities on the lines of SIPCOT industrial parks. The park will have common facilities including an approach road, over head water tank and water supply, administrative building, storage godown, water treatment section, raw water and treated water reservoirs and an effluent treatment plant.

Private enterprises engaged in seaweed processing and value-added product manufacturing will be allotted plots at the park. “Till now, 12 companies have submitted applications to the Directorate of Fisheries seeking allotment,” district officials said. The companies will be allotted plots upon signing MoUs with the government.

Collector M. Aruna, who recently inspected the progress of works on creating the common facilities at the park, directed the officials to complete the project in time.

Seaweeds are marine plants that grow in oceans and seas. They are used in various products including food, cosmetics, fertilizers and medicine. Pudukottai district is the second largest producer of seaweed in Tamil Nadu and one of the largest in the country with an average annual seaweed production of 2,000 tonnes. The establishment of the park is expected to give a boost to manufacturing of seaweed based products and thereby bring in better returns for seaweed farmers and also generate alternative employment for fisherfolk in the district, officials said.

Published - July 07, 2026 05:10 pm IST