Sarbananda Sonowal, Union Minister of Ports, Shipping and Waterways and Ayush, inaugurated major infrastructure projects in Chennai, Tamil Nadu, to increase the capacity of the state's Chennai and Kamarajar ports. The projects, totaling more than Rs 148 crore, aim to increase the capacity of the Chennai and Kamarajar ports.
The Union Minister also emphasised the ongoing discussions between India and Russia to open the 'Chennai-Vladivostok Maritime Corridor' in order to boost bilateral maritime trade. Sarbananda Sonowal inaugurated a bunker berth at Bharathi Dock, a Goods Shed yard at Jolarpet and a 40 KLD (Kilo Litres per day) sewage treatment plant at Chennai Port. These projects will cost more than Rs 55 crore in total.
The 182 m Bunker berth Project is worth Rs 50.25 crore and is funded through the visionary Sagarmala scheme of the Ministry of Ports, Shipping, and Waterways (MoPSW). This will allow for an increase in capacity of 1 MMTPA (Million Metric Tonnes Per Annum) as well as the handling of Bunker Tankers up to 10,000 DWT. This will meet the bunkering requirements of vessels calling at the regional ports of Chennai, Kamarajar, and Katupalli, as well as other vessels passing through the area.
"The rich history of Tamil Nadu's marine trade has been a bedrock of growth and development of the Indian economy," Sonowal said on the occasion."As we work to build a 'Atmanirbhar Bharat' under Prime Minister Narendra Modi's dynamic leadership, these projects are expected to play a critical role in engineering a positive turnaround in the region's marine sector." The projects launched today will not only strengthen Tamil Nadu's marine sector, but will also enable growth multipliers in regional trade as well as EXIM trade. "Our deliberate effort to unlock the enormous potential of the blue economy through revolutionary schemes like Sagarmala is in line with PM Modi's vision of a new India," he added.
Sonowal said of the expanding marine cooperation between Russia and India, "India is in talks with Russia to open up the Chennai-Vladivostok Maritime Corridor to further the special relationship between the two countries while unlocking the enormous trade potential in the blue economy." Under the dynamic leadership of Prime Minister Modi, India affirms its commitment to revitalise its trade and investment potential in order to propel India's growth. This corridor will serve this purpose by acting as a conduit for growth and investment cooperation between the two countries' two historic cities with rich maritime histories, Chennai and Vladivostok." The 15,000 square metre Goods Shed facility in Jolarpet, with loading and stacking facilities, will allow cargo to be moved from up to Chennai Port via railway, increasing cargo movement, particularly container movement. The port will also receive a revenue share from Terminal Access Charges (from Southern Railway).
As part of the MoPSW's Green Port Initiative, a sewage treatment plant with a capacity of 40 KLD will allow wastewater to be reused after treatment for a variety of purposes. The Amrit Mahotsav Marg was built with an investment of Rs 88 crores between Kamarajar Port's 4.8 km access road from Vallur junction to NCTPS junction. With improved road connectivity to the port, this will facilitate the smooth movement of cargo. Widening and Concreting of the Port Access Road from Vallur Junction to NCTPS junction were completed under Sagarmala and one of the "National Infrastructure Pipeline" projects of MoPSW.
Out of the total Sagarmala Projects, 108 projects worth Rs 1.46 lakh crore are being implemented in the state of Tamil Nadu. Of the 108 projects, 43 projects worth Rs 34,752 crore have already been completed, 34 projects worth Rs 67,759 crore are under implementation and 31 projects worth Rs. 44,057 crores are under various stages of development. Some of the key projects under the Port Modernisation category are 'Development and Operation of a full-fledged Truck Parking Terminal adjacent to NH-7A opposite to Fisheries College at VoC Port', 'Dredging the dock basin for coastal cargo berth at VOC Port', and so on.
The Chennai Port has been critical to the industrialization of southern India. The Chennai port, along with the Kamarajar Port, has been the backbone of the state's EXIM trade. For 2022-23, Chennai Port achieved an operating income of Rs 943 crore and a net surplus of Rs 150 crore, the highest in the last 13 years. The Kamarajar Port also crossed Rs 1,000-crore income mark for the first time in FY23. KPL recorded a net surplus (profit before tax) of Rs 670 crore in 2022-23, an increase of 24.39% over the previous year.
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