Vizag port to construct 2 new berths with Rs 600 cr

The berths would be developed in the PPP mode and the project would be ready in three years

Visakhapatnam port has decided to construct two new modern berths with an investment of Rs 600 crore. These would come up in the place of existing EQ-2 to EQ-5 berths and have fully mechanised handling facilities.

"The berths will be developed in the PPP mode. We will go for expression of interest tenders in April and the project would be ready in three years," said MT Krishna Babu, chairman, Vizag Port.

Stating that the first phase of entrance channel expansion project, completed today, would enable vessels with 60000-tonne capacity to berth in the inner harbour, he said, the second phase of deepening of the entrance channel would be done by April. Post this, 80,000-100,000-tonne capacity large size vessels could berth in the inner harbour.

For expansion and deepening of the entrance channel, the port was spending Rs 300 crore and another Rs 80-100 crore would be spent for strengthening the inner harbour berths, he added.

On steps to address the cargo evacuation problems, he said the Sagarmala project of the Centre was aimed at solving this. The Union government has identified Andhra Pradesh cluster on the east coast for a pilot, he said, adding, this would also reduce the cost of handling significantly. Krishana Babu was addressing the media during the East Coast Maritime Business Summit here on Monday

Among others, railways has taken up the doubling and electrification works on the Vizianagaram-Raipur-Titlagarh railway line with an investment of Rs 1,100 crore. The project would be ready by 2016, and upon completion cargo evacuation would increase drastically at Vizag, Kakinada and Gangavaram ports.

To increase logistic facilities, the port has proposed to develop a multi-model logistic hub on 500 acres at Anakapalle. Krishna Babu said work on the project would commence soon.

Besides, Concor was spending Rs 378 crore to set up a multi-model logistic park on port lands near the airport.

Visakha Container Terminal Private Limited (VCTPL) chief operation officer Sunil Moolchandani said they would spend Rs 900-1,000 crore over the next three-four years to construct another container berth at the port and for setting up own container freight station in the port area. VCTPL operates a container terminal at Vizag port.