Chennai and Puducherry Ports to ink an MoU for setting up a Dry Port

CHENNAI: Chennai and Puducherry Ports are finalizing a Memorandum of Understanding for forging cooperation in building a Satellite Port in the Union Territory and help in dispersal of cargo, Mr B Vimal Traffic Manager of the Port said recently.

The MOU is expected to be signed in a few days and the virtually defunct Puduchery Port which has all the infrastructure will swing back into action in the next six months.

The Puducherry Port has not been functioning for the past several years due to technical reasons. The port has a 250 meter length berth and a draft of four meters sufficient for berthing giant barges. Ships can be anchored a few kilometers from the port and cargo be handled in barges which can be berthed alongside the port.

Mr Vimal said the cargoes meant for central Tamil Nadu especially containers can be handled at Puducherry. Smaller vessels carrying the cargo to the region could be diverted so that congestion in Chennai Port too could be tackled.

Under the MOU Chennai Port will undertake to do the maintenance dredging. Chennai port is also preparing the blue print for constructing a full- fledged satellite port near Chidambaram in Central Tamil Nadu to cater to coal requirements of thermal power plants coming up in the coast.

Source: - Dailyshippingtimes.com