Sonowal unveils infra projects at Chennai Port and Kamarajar Port
On the first day of his two-day visit to Chennai, November 4, 2024, Mr Sarbananda Sonowal, Union Minister of Ports, Shipping & Waterways, unveiled 4 infrastructure projects of over Rs 187 crore, which include two projects of Chennai Port Authority totalling approx. Rs 78 crore and two projects at Kamarajar Port Limited (KPL) totalling over Rs 109 crore, as per a release.
Key highlights of the projects
Chennai Port Project: Laid foundation stone for the construction of 4 EXIM Godowns and development of concrete roads around the godowns at an estimated cost of Rs 73.91 crore. This project aims to meet the growing demand for covered storage areas inside Chennai Port and ensure a safe and secure cargo storage area for the port’s EXIM trade partners.
Chennai Port Project: Dedication of Coastal Road, a 300-metre-long eastern peripheral road inside Chennai Port, built at a cost of approximately Rs 4 crore. This road will significantly improve cargo evacuation, especially for coastal cargo and containers, from the second international container terminal at Chennai Port, leading to faster turnaround time for trailers and trucks.
Kamarajar Port Project: Inaugurated doubling of Southern Railway connectivity, developed at a cost of Rs 88.91 crore. This project doubles the rake handling capacity of KPL from 22 rakes/day to 44 rakes/day and supports the connectivity needs of future capacity addition projects at the port.
Kamarajar Port Project: Inaugurated Shore Power Supply facility for Coal Berth 1 and Coal Berth 2. Established at a cost of Rs 20.51 crore, it is a bold step towards sustainable port practices which will reduce GHG emissions from vessels while at berth as they will be supplied shore electric power.
Port Review Meeting
The Minister reviewed the progress of both ports, in line with the targets set in the Maritime Amrit Kaal Vision 2047, PM GatiShakti, ease of doing business initiatives and initiatives under corporate social responsibility. He enquired about the main challenges faced by both organisations and assured government support. He urged port officials to strive to complete infrastructure projects on time, the release said.
source: Exim News Service: Chennai, Nov. 5