Vizag port to start work on cruise and cargo terminal.

With the Centre clearing the project, Visakhapatnam Port will take up construction of a cruise and coastal cargo terminal in 2019, according to Chairman MT Krishnababu.

He was speaking to the media here on Friday after inaugurating the command and control centre in the administrative office. He said the port had set up the centre to streamline the functioning of the port and to improve customer satisfaction.

The centre, which will be operational round the clock, will monitor all operations within the port premises. “It has advanced technological features such as CCTV footage from 80 high resolution HD cameras positioned at various locations for effective monitoring of cargo-handling operations, as well as for surveillance. Security is very important for the port given the presence of both Indian naval vessels as well as commercial vessels. An RFID gate management system for monitoring vehicle movement, advanced wireless communication systems, VHF system, AIS radar system and others will enable data capturing on real-time basis. This will make it a very secure, efficient port,” Krishnababu said.

He said the cruise berth and terminal work would start in a few months’ time, with financial assistance from the Centre. The Ministry of Tourism has agreed to bear half the cost of Rs. 77 crore needed for the project as grant. He said a cruise vessel Silver Discoverer would make three calls in January and February, giving a boost to tourism here.

Krishnababu said the cargo-handling target for the current financial year (2018-19) is 66 million tonnes (mt), as against 63.54 mt in 2017-18. “We achieved 43.03 mt by the end of November, as against 40.95 mt during the corresponding period in the previous financial year. We are confident of achieving the target,” he said.

The financial position of the port is good, with operating income of Rs. 696 crore in 2018-19 as compared with Rs. 630 crore in the previous year. Operating expenditure was Rs. 372 crore ( Rs. 347 crore); operating surplus of Rs. 324 crore ( Rs. 283 crore); and net surplus of Rs. 184 crore ( Rs. 162 crore).

He said the port was adjudged the second cleanest among major ports in the country for the third successive year, the first being New Mangalore Port. The award was presented recently in New Delhi.

HBL