NMPT’s coal handling berth to be fully mechanised by March.

The New Mangalore Port will get a mechanised berth for handling coal by March.

Addressing the media recently, MT Krishna Babu, Chairman, New Mangalore Port Trust (NMPT), said that the mechanised operations are scheduled to commence from Berth 16 by Chettinad Mangalore Coal Terminal Ltd. in March.

Stating that the works are in the final stages, he said the berth is being constructed at a cost of Rs. 469.46 crore.

At present, coal handling is semi-mechanised at the port. With the commissioning of the new berth, the operations will be mechanised end-to-end, he said.

On the other infrastructure projects at the New Mangalore Port, he said the multi-purpose Berth 14 would be developed as a container terminal.

The RFQ (request for quotation) for it is over now. The RFP (request for proposal) to mechanise the berth will be issued soon, and the proposal will be sent to the government for clearance.

The project will be taken up in two phases with an investment of Rs. 280.71 crore, he said. After awarding the project to the successful bidder, the first phase will be completed in 18 months.

Apart from this, the NMPT is planning to develop Berth 17 as a multi-purpose berth with an investment of around Rs. 200 crore from its own resources.

Krishna Babu said Berth 17 would be ready for handling multi-purpose cargo by the time Berth 14 is ready for handling container cargo in two years.

He added that the NMPT is planning to take up dredging to maintain a uniform draft of 14 metres throughout the year in the channel. IIT Madras will work out the economic feasibility of increasing the draft to attract bigger vessels.

HBL