The Centre is situated in a building belonging to the Central Fish Hatchery Balaju, of the Department of Agriculture. It is a farm for hatching fish which are sold, while still very young, to private fish farmers or distributed to other fish farms.
The ground floor of the building, which houses the Receiving/Distribution Centre, consists of two offices and a storeroom of fishing tackle, tools, etc. and some laboratory equipment (Fig. 4). The groundfloor has no connexion to water mains or sewage.
The stores consist of panels, interlocking edges and a cooler unit for the cool room, an ice machine and a deep freezer. A large type of cool room was planned for the Centre, with a capacity of 10.4 m2. However, the number of the interlocking edges was insufficient, and the cooler unit was of a type suitable for the smaller room (such as was assembled in Pokhara, but which was by mistake fitted with a stronger cooler unit). On the other hand, the panels were too numerous, as was ascertained later when specifications were made.
It was by no means simple to find one's way in a situation in which parts of three cool rooms were scattered in four different towns, and separated by hundreds of kilometres.
No document specifying the materials for the individual cool rooms could be found, except for a total list of all materials. Specification of panels and interlocking edges for the different types of cool rooms were then made, stating the numbers, sizes, and positions of assembly (see Table 1).
The remaining interlocking edges and a spare (larger) cooling unit were then brought over from Pokhara.
After the assembly of the cool room, the interlocking edges and an unused panel were taken to Hetauda. It was found that one panel was missing, so this was brought from Bhairawa. The edges that were unused in Hetauda will be taken to Bhairawa, and in this manner all the materials for the fourth cool room will be brought to one place.
As stated above, specifications for cool rooms were made first. Plans of the ground floor were drawn next (see Fig. 4) where the Centre and the laboratory will be located. Disposition of equipment was made, and it was found that owing to limited space the table for cleaning fish would have to be fitted outside, in front of the building, protected by a porch to be built over the entrance (see Fig. 5).
Plans of water supply to the Centre and to the laboratory were then made. Water was brought from a distance of 55 m. The sewage system was planned and executed. Drainage pipes from the cool room and the cleaning table were provided with floor siphons. Adequate floor siphons were impossible to obtain at the Centre, so a siphon was constructed of the material available (a plastic pipe with 100 mm diameter) (see Fig. 6).
The machine was linked to the main collector via a drain pipe from ice storage, whereas the drain pipe from the laboratory will be linked to the collector pipe later. The collector pipe is 73.5 m long and takes all waste water to the fish pond.
The electric grid system was of insufficient capacity to supply all the equipment. Specifications were made of all consumer units with indication of power, which served as the basis for the new supply system with all accessories which are essential for safe operation of the Centre and of the laboratory.
The consultant directed the assembling of the cool room, which was done in accordance with the disposition of equipment and the specification of parts (panels and edges). He also took part in actual work as needed, and regulated the door which had been damaged during transportation and had to be adjusted.
The cool room was tested after assembling for a period of about ten days. The test showed that the cooling unit, the thermostat, and all other automata were working faultlessly. It was tested empty as no fish was brought at the time. It was shown that from the initial +18°C to +24°C in the cool room the temperature dropped to the required ±0°C in 80 to 105 minutes (see Fig. 9). The compressor is switched off at ±0°C and is automatically switched on as the temperature rises to +1°C, exactly as the thermostat had been set previously.
At the request of the Fisheries Section Manager in Kathmandu, the Consultant drew plans for the construction of lockers in the cool room (see Fig. 7). The lockers would be independent of one another, with separate doors, and would be rented to private fishermen when they bring their fish to Kathmandu from distant places. The construction is planned of galvanized or plastified iron bars and plastic or galvanized wire mesh, thus facilitating a free circulation of air. Left and right sides are anchored to the ceiling in three places by means of “angle” iron and to the floor by means of “I” bars. The whole construction is light and it can be assembled and dismantled easily (for the purpose of cleaning, washing, etc.)
Each locker has a capacity of 7 fish boxes, each with 30 kg of fish with ice added, a total of 210 kg. There are 9 lockers with a total capacity of 1 890 kg.
In the space below the unit cooler 18 fish boxes can be stored (outside the lockers) which amounts to an additional 540 kg. The total capacity of the cool room is thus 2 430 kg of fish. Owing to a relatively large manipulation space giving access to each locker, the total capacity of the cool room is much smaller than its capacity of 3 700 kg without lockers.
With the cool room in operation, the first consignment of fish was received at the Balaju Centre. It was a quantity of about 300 kg which had arrived from the area round Joknapur in the insulated van (after some 12 hours of transport!).
Although almost without any ice at all (the little that had been added had thawed during transport), the fish were fresh, with clear eyes and red gills. It was essential to chill them as soon as possible so as to keep them fresh for sale the next day. Two blocks of ice (100 kg) were brought and the Consultant demonstrated to the Centre personnel the correct method of treating fish.
Ice blocks were crushed, the fish taken out of the van and washed as necessary, then stowed in boxes, the bottoms of which had been covered with ice. Alternate layers of fish and ice were laid in the boxes and the top layer of fish was almost completely covered with ice. This prevents drying of the skin (in addition to cooling) which could be caused by the circulation of the cold air in the cool room. The fish was not weighed as the balance had not yet been purchased. Fish was sorted according to size and species (various species of carps). The boxes were stored in the cool room.
Next morning it was found that the temperature in the cool room was ±0°C, that the ice had thawed in part only, while the fish had kept its freshness. It was sold partly on the spot and partly in the Fisheries Section. The interest was great and the whole quantity was sold in a short time.
To avoid mistakes and ensure proper handling of fresh fish, the Consultant prepared a flow chart showing all phases in the treatment and distribution of fresh fish from the moment of reception until sale, which he then explained to the Centre personnel (see Fig. 10).
The chart, and treatment, consists of two parts. The first part is reception and treatment of fish in the production centres such as Bhairawa, Pokhara, Hetauda, etc. whereas the second part covers the remaining treatment until sale in the main consumer centre of Kathmandu.
Both parts are connected with the transportation stage which, together with the other two stages, constitutes the so-called “cold chain”.
In the overall treatment of fish it is of the greatest importance that fish should be distributed from producers to consumers in a hygienic manner, in a fresh condition, and in the shortest possible time. Ice plays the most important part in the process and care should be taken not to leave fish without ice at any time, especially the top layer in the fish box. When extra ice is added it is generally added on top so that it wets all the fish in the box as it thaws.
Constant supervision of cleanliness of equipment as well as the freshness of fish is one of the most important tasks of the technologist in charge.
3.3.1 The cool room is also of prefabricated construction, as described in 2.3.1, and it will not be described again here.
The difference is in the size of room and the capacity of unit cooler. Overall dimensions are L × W × H - 5.4 × 2.2 × 2.2 m. Interior dimensions are 5.2 × 2 × 2 m, or 10.4 m2 and 20.8 m3. Maximum capacity of the cool room is 3 700 kg of fish stored in 123 plastic boxes of 30 kg of fish each.
3.3.2 Fish Boxes, Deep Freezer, etc.
These are identical with accessories in the Pokhara Centre, and will not be described again here.
It is advisable to build and fit out a retail fish shop in Kathmandu, as suggested in the report submitted by Mr H. Lisac, FAO Fishery Industry Officer, in 1976 (see Section 2.4). A need for a suitable fish shop is strongly felt at present, and the need will be even stronger in the following years when greater quantities of fish will be brought to Kathmandu daily.
