The federal government plans to invest Rs 3.048 crore in phases to build a feeder port in Pondicherry under the Sagarmala scheme to be used as a feeder unit for Chennai port. Ports, Shipping and Waterways Union Minister Sarbananda Sonowal informed that a memorandum of understanding had been signed between the Chennai Port Trust and Pondicherry Ports Department in 2017, which was approved by the Union Shipping Department. He further informed that a special container ship conducted a trial voyage between Chennai Port and Pondicherry Port, observed a few small draft areas in the waterway and ports of Pondicherry Port, and carried out capital dredging. maintain operation.
A capital dredging of 730,000 cubic meters will be carried out at the Port of Pondicherry, with the establishment of a container berth in the first phase at a cost of Rs 750 crore. The e-tender was conducted in July 2020 and the work was awarded following a mandatory Environmental and Coastal Regulatory Area permit from the EU Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change. The Union government will build an approach terminal, main terminal and ancillary facilities in the second phase at a cost of Rs 596 crore and expand container berths, lay the approach road and build bridges in the third phase at a cost of Rs 170.2 crore.
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