Jagatsinghpur: Paradip Port in Odisha will emerge as the biggest port in the country with completion of ongoing expansion projects in next 3 years.
This was stated by chairman of Paradip Port Trust (PPT) PL Haranadh while inaugurating ‘Boita Bandana’ function organised on the occasion of Kartik Purnima on the port premises on Tuesday.
“At present, Paradip is the biggest port in the eastern coast of India. We have completed projects worth Rs 3,000 crore under Sagarmala programme of the Central government in the last 7 years. Another project worth Rs 3,000 crore is going on and will be completed by 2025. With this, Paradip port will emerge as the largest port in the entire country,” he said.
Stating that the port’s capacity will go up to 300 million ton (MT) with the completion of these projects, he said they were planning to add 100 MT more capacity to the port in next 2-3 years.
“Besides capacity augmentation, we are improving the connectivity of the port. Under Gati Shakti, the national master plan for multi-modal connectivity, the port’s road, railway and water connectivity projects would be speeded up and completed soon. For the first time, we are connecting the port to national waterway no 5 at Brahmani river and national waterway no 5 at Mahanadi. The port will be connected to all industrial and mining belts of Odisha for cargo transportation through waterway” Haranadh added.
On the occasion, he flagged off a traditionally decorated boat carrying 7 men and 7 women dressed as ‘Sadhabas’ (Odia merchant sailors) at the port. Various cultural programmes were also organised for the employees and people of the port area.
