NMPA takes up three projects under Gati Shakti

Mangaluru: The New Mangalore Port Trust hereafter will be known as New Mangalore Port Authority (NMPA). The change in nomenclature came into effect officially on Tuesday. The first Chairman of the NMPA, Dr A.V. Ramana lost no time in bringing up Prime Minister Narendra Modi's national master plan for infrastructure development 'Gati Shakti' into the hinterland of the port in Karnataka. NMPA is one of the first among the 11 major ports to plunge into this ambitious infra push.

Three projects for development at an estimated cost of Rs 695 crore were launched on Tuesday. These are three of the 101 projects identified by the Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways under PM Gati Shakti National Master Plan to enhance port connectivity with consumption and production centres.

The development projects include mechanization of Berth No.14 for handling container & other cargos in DBFOT basis with M/s JSW at cost of Rs. 281 crores; construction of new Berth No.17 for handling bulk & dry-bulk cargos worth Rs. 217 crore; construction of fishing harbour at Kulai at a cost of Rs 197 crores.

Due to the semi-mechanized handling of containers, there was a tremendous need for the augmentation of the port capacity in handling containers. Mechanized handling of containers at Berth No. 14 will satisfy this tremendous need and give a boost to the business environment of the hinterland of Karnataka. Higher handling capacity will increase business activities which will, in turn, lead to economic growth. NMPT has signed a Concession Agreement with JSW Infrastructure Limited to develop and operate a container terminal on the PPP model at a total cost of Rs 281 crore which will generate a considerable amount of direct and indirect employment.

As the containers are clean cargo, higher containerization will lead to environmental benefits for the port maritime and shore ecosystems. The mechanization is also expected to increase efficiency and thereby reduce the turnaround time, pre-berthing delay and dwell time in the port. Thus, reinforcing the fact that transformation from manual to automatic decreases logistics cost, makes the supply chain seamless and facilitates multi-modal connectivity.

"The Port will need a deep draft berth to handle the dry bulk and break bulk cargoes arriving through large ships of 60,000 dry weight tonnage and above. The modern-day vessel sizes require 14 meters draft or above and lack thereof would bring down the trade potential of the hinterland. As it is necessary to build sufficient infrastructure so that the trade can be facilitated the Port proposed to construct a new Berth No.17 for multi-purpose cargo handling. The estimated cost of the project will be 217 crores and will be implemented through EPC mode.

The project is expected to generate employment opportunities for around 2000 people. As per the DPR, berth number 17 is expected to handle 131 vessels for different types of bulk cargo and generate a total tonnage of 4.73 MTPA. The Port stands to earn a wharfage amount of 16.52 crore and a VR income of 17.92 crores. Therefore, the implementation of such a project will satisfy the requirement and provide the necessary infrastructure for improving trade and employment in the region," Ramana said.

In addition, New Mangalore Port Authority is also working towards the construction of a Fishing Harbour at Kulai near the Port vicinity for an estimated cost of Rs 197 crore. The fishing harbour at Kulai will contribute to increasing the fish and crustacean supplies to domestic and foreign markets.

The project is estimated to employ 2720 sea-going fishermen and 1280 persons in shore-based establishments and allied industries. Fishermen are expected to earn income in the order of Rs.55.27 crores. The sale of fish and other products will bring in revenue of Rs.192.20 crore with an export bill of Rs 33.88 crore.

The project will decongest the over-crowded old fishing harbour at Mangaluru and offer a safe sanctuary for fishing boats, especially during the monsoon and rough sea conditions. These boats normally approach New Mangalore Port seeking safety during such times.