The Hindu : Tamil Nadu News : Private port at Karaikal begins its operations

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Thursday, Apr 16, 2009
ePaper | Mobile/PDA Version

Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu

Private port at Karaikal begins its operations

Special Correspondent

Two huge harbour mobile cranes were brought as cargo

— Photo: M.Srinath

GENERATING WAVES: The private port at Karaikal received its first project cargo vessel, M.V.Beluga Fanfare, on Wednesday.

KARAIKAL: The private MARG Karaikal port at Vanjore in Karaikal district, started functioning on Wednesday and received its first project cargo vessel, M.V.Beluga Fanfare, which was berthed in the newly built facility.

G. R. K. Reddy, Chairman and Managing Director of MARG Limited, sprayed holy water after performing special pujas in the port and received two huge harbour mobile cranes that were brought as cargo.

S. A. Bhat, Chairman and Managing Director, Indian Overseas Bank, and M. S. Sundararajan, Chairman and Managing Director, Indian Bank, formally received the vessel.

Agent of change

Mr. Reddy said that the state-of-the-art, all weather, deep water port with two berths had a combined capacity of five million metric tonnes per annum and a back-up area of 2.40 lakh square metre.

The project would act as an agent of change and will bring inclusive growth to coastal central Tamil Nadu and Puducherry.

Mr. Reddy pointed out that MARG had acquired a cutter suction dredger with a dredging capacity of 2,000 cubic metre per hour for the port, which would be developed in three phases. The draft would be increased continuously to 13.5 to 16.5 metres in stages for handling all types of vessels.

With the completion of phase-III of the project by 2015, the port would have a cumulative capacity to handle 45 million metric tonnes per annum. It was poised to serve as a congestion-free port and would serve customers with advanced cargo handling equipment, suitable warehouse facilities, appropriate and damage-free storage and faster turnaround of ships due to mechanisation.

Salient features

Special features of the port included single window professional service, paperless working, cost effective technology, best logistics support for door-to-door and online update for all customers to facilitate efficient handling cargo. It would provide services such as bunkering and repair of small ships.

Mr. Bhat said that the new port would ease congestion in Mumbai, Chennai and Kolkata ports.

Mr. Sundararajan, said that the new port would improve the economic growth and development of the nation.

Mr. Mahapatra, former Secretary in the Union Ministry of Shipping, spoke.

Printer friendly page
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Tamil Nadu