Projects worth Rs.333.56 crore inaugurated at Vizag port

Union Minister for Ports, Shipping & Waterways for & AYUSH Sarbananda Sonowal inaugurated four projects worth Rs. 333.56 crores at the Visakhapatnam port area here.

Visakhapatnam: Union Minister for Ports, Shipping & Waterways for & AYUSH Sarbananda Sonowal inaugurated four projects worth Rs. 333.56 crores at the Visakhapatnam port area here on Monday.

Speaking on the occasion, he said that the ports were being modernised as part of the Sagarmala programme. “We have taken up port-centred industrial development and are providing services of international standards at the terminals. Pollution control measures are initiated in Visakhapatnam and as part of this, we have built a covered storage shed,” he stated.

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The covered storage shed was built at a total cost of Rs. 33.80 crore. It has a capacity to store 84,000 Tons of bulk and bagged cargo and having mist arrangement for dust suppression and the shed will reduce the pollution for storing dusty cargo.

Revamping of berths was taken up with an investment of Rs. 167.66 crore to handle 14.5m draft vessels / 85,000 DWT vessels. Out of which one berth OR-1 berth was inaugurated on the day. This berth has length of 243m. The capacity addition is 3.81 MMT. The entire modernization project will be completed by October next year.

Union Minister of State for Ports Sripad Yasso Naik said that the Visakhapatnam Port Authority (VPA) had developed World class Truck Parking Terminal in 20 acres with an investment of Rs. 36.05 crore to facilitate parking space for cargo bound vehicles entering into Port and to provide hassle free movement of trucks. The truck parking terminal can accommodate 666 vehicles,100 bedded dormitory, Petty shops building having 9 shops for ATM, vulcanizing, Spares shops, toilets etc.

Truck parking terminal also has Fuel station, Weigh Bridge of 100T capacity and Workshop and servicing station Shops having an area of 432 Sq Mts, Sulabh Shouchalay (Toilet block).

Naik said that the Vizag international Cruise Terminal (VICT) was developed by Visakhapatnam Port with an investment of Rs. 96.05 crore with 50 per cent of the investment was funded by the union Ministry of Tourism. VICT has capacity to handle cruise ships up to 2,000 Passengers and has parking space for seven Buses, 70 cars and 40 two-wheelers.

The VPA with the association of cruise liners is expected to add cruise services to Chennai, Colombo/Trincomalee, Singapore and Bangladesh. It is also exploring coastal cruises to Andaman, Orissa and Sunderbans.

Vizag International Cruise Terminal aims to position Visakhapatnam as a prominent cruise tourism destination in India. The diverse tourist attractions within Visakhapatnam and the surrounding Andhra Pradesh region, including beaches, temples, historical sites, cultural attractions and natural beauty make it an ideal location for cruise ships to dock and tourists to explore.