CHENNAI:
Union Shipping Minister Nitin Gadkari said that Tuticorin port will be converted from a feeder port to a mainland port with deepening of draft to 16.5 metres so that mother vessels with a tonnage of 1.6 lakh tonnes can enter the port.
This will ensure that exporters from Tamil Nadu can directly export their goods to United States and Europe as international lines are quite near rather than routing it via Colombo and Singapore.
“The tender to deepen the draft will be awarded this year at a cost of Rs 3,000 crore,” said Gadkari.
This will reduce the logistics cost by 30pc and increase the capacity of Port by 50 per cent, said Gadkari.
This will also catapult Tuticorin Port from a feeder port to a mainland port with mother land vessels calling. Tuticorin has also created raw cotton warehouse which will help those importing cotton, the minister said.
He also said that shipping ministry will be providing 250 deep sea fishing vessels to Tamil Nadu fishermen for deep sea fishing so that incursion on international maritime border line is reduced. Each vessel will cost Rs 80 lakh and is manufactured by Kochi shipyard. “This will provide a new era in fishing industry,” the minister said.
The minister also said that two coastal employment zones have been identified in Ennore and Tuticorin. He said 800 acres of land near Tuticorin Port and 315 acres in Ennore Port has been identified for development. He said plans are also to develop Poompuhar and Chinnamuttam fishing harbours at a cost of Rs 138 crore and rs 73.5 crore respectively.
He said the passenger ferry service will be launched from Kanyakumari to Rameshwaram and Trivandrum and said if any private operator is interested, his ministry will be providing them with required financial support
No comments:
Post a Comment