The Hindu : Tamil Nadu News : Karaikal port to be ready by March

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Sunday, Nov 16, 2008
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Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu

Karaikal port to be ready by March

Shyam Ranganathan

The first berth of the Rs. 1,400-crore facility is ready; ships may dock ahead of schedule

— PHOTO: Special Arrangement

STIMULATING GROWTH: A cutter suction dredger in action at the Karaikal port.

KARAIKAL: The first berth of the Rs.1,400-crore Karaikal port is ready and the first ships may dock by March 2009, ahead of schedule, according to M. Subramanyam, Executive Director, Karaikal Port Private Limited (KPPL).

The deep-sea, all-weather port is being built at Vanjore, near here, on 600 acres under a build-own-transfer (BOT) basis.

The Puducherry government has leased out the land for 30 years to Marg Constructions in 2005. It is renewable twice for 10 years each. Speaking to The Hindu, Collector N. Vasanthakumar said the port would create tremendous scope for development. The projected employment (direct and indirect) by the company was around 6,000-8,000. It would provide increased stimulus for economic activity in the district.

The work is progressing smoothly with four dredgers operating to provide a depth of 14 metres near the berths in the first phase, G. Rajeswar Reddy, Senior Manager (Projects), KPPL, said.

Nine berths are planned and Phase I was earlier scheduled for completion by April 2009 with the construction of two berths and the breakwater. Mr. Reddy said that nearly 80 per cent of the breakwater work had been completed, besides the first berth. More than 70 per cent of the work on the second berth was also complete, and the port would be ready for its first visitors by March.

The port is designed to primarily handle coal and cement for the industries in the hinterland at Ariyalur, Perambalur and Tiruchi. It will provide an alternative to Chennai and Tuticorin ports, which are far removed from these places, G. R. K. Reddy, chairman and managing director, Marg Constructions, said.

With an initial handling capacity of 4 million tonnes and projected total handling capacity of 30-40 million tonnes, the port would benefit the industries by cutting the cost of transport from Chennai or Tuticorin, he said. Since coal would be handled to a large extent, a captive power plant was feasible, Mr. Rajeswar Reddy said.

“We are ready to build even a 500 MW captive plant if the government authorises us,” he said. A container terminal to be ready by 2013-2014 will also enhance the types of cargo that can be handled by the port.

Doubts over road connectivity

However, as the Rs.415-crore Phase I nears completion, doubts over road and rail connectivity persist. The company has sought that work on the rail link between Nagore and Karaikal be expedited to ease freight movement. Western Bypass Road, a long-standing demand in the district, also needs to be completed soon to allow the port to function at its maximum capacity.

Good roads connecting Karaikal and Kumbakonam, Tiruvarur and Thanjavur will benefit movers of cargo, Mr. Rajeswar Reddy said.

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