Visakhapatnam: Union Minister for Ports, Shipping and Waterways Sarbananda Sonowal inaugurated several development projects at Visakhapatnam Port Authority on Monday.

Among the projects inaugurated included operation and maintenance of East Quay (EQ)-1A terminal, awarded to Green Energy Resources with an investment of Rs 130 crore.

The project includes deployment of two 120-tonne harbour mobile cranes (HMCs) and connected infrastructure for a five plus a one-year period, enhancing capacity by 3 MMTPA. The initiative is expected to generate around 150 jobs, reduce logistics costs, and strengthen Visakhapatnam Port’s position as a key cargo hub on the East Coast.

Also, the Union Minister inaugurated the Smart Video Surveillance Project valued at Rs 37.53 crore, executed by RailTel Corporation of India Ltd., Hyderabad.

This initiative integrates AI/ML-based video analytics, IoT technologies, and an Integrated Command Control Centre (ICCC) with 5 years of O&M support. Designed to be implemented within 12 months, the project enhances port security, operational efficiency, and compliance while enabling real-time monitoring, asset tracking, and predictive analytics, making VPA a future-ready smart port.

Another major project inaugurated was the Digital Health Card System, implemented by Triunfador Pvt Ltd., Visakhapatnam, at a cost of Rs. 1 crore. The project, to be completed in three months, enables digital access to health records for employees, pensioners, and dependents through QR/Aadhaar-linked smart health cards.

The projects were inaugurated in the presence of Visakhapatnam MP M. Sribharat, MLAs Ch. Vamsi Krishna Srinivas Yadav and P. Vishnu Kumar Raju, VPA chairperson M. Angamuthu, among others.

After inaugurating a series of developmental projects at Visakhapatnam Port Authority, the Union Minister addressed the gathering at Sagarmala Conventions, Saligramapuram, highlighting how the Centre is striving towards growth and development of the country.