New port will go on stream in August.

The Puducherry port which is being developed as a satellite port of Chennai Port Trust will go on stream in August.

After inspecting the infrastructure for the commencement of container operations at the new port in Uppalam on Monday, Welfare Minister M. Kandasamy said that Chief Minister V. Narayanasamy had already held discussions with Union Minister of State for Shipping and Transport Pon Radhakrishnan on the development of the port.

As per the MoU, the Chennai Port will assist the Puducherry Port in handling export of cargo which will be transported by sea to Chennai for shipping to overseas destination through mainline and feeder vessels.

The port is expected to handle 0.3 million tonnes of cargo per annum initially. The capacity will later be expanded up to one million tonne. The Puducherry government is expected to earn revenue of ₹10 crore every year. Employment opportunities will also be generated for the local youth.

Mr. Kandasamy said that dredging of the sea mouth was under way to enable the commencement of port operations by the Chennai Port Trust. The work will be completed in a month.

Union Minister for Road, Transport, Highways and Shipping Nitin Gadkari will inaugurate the cargo operations from the port in the first week of August, he said. AIADMK MLA A. Anbalagan was also present.

According to Puducherry Port Executive Engineer M. Rajendiran, four godowns have been readied in the space to house the office of the Customs and port users. A berth with a quay length of 150 metres and width of 25 metres had also been readied that can handle vessels with container capacity.

Though fishing vessels need a depth of four metres for the boats to navigate, the department has planned to dredge up to five metres to facilitate the loading of containers from ships through small barges. Around 50,000 cubic metres of sand will be dredged to facilitate the loading of containers, he said.

The Government of Puducherry had awarded the contract to Dredging Corporation of India to dredge 3.75 lakh cubic metres of sand and deposit it behind the Gandhi statue to restore the beaches in front of the town.

THE HINDU