Around 50% of dredging work at the Puducherry port has been completed, Union Minister for Ports, Shipping and Waterways Sarbananda Sonowal has said.
Replying to a question by Member of Parliament V. Vaithilingam in Lok Sabha on Friday, the Union Minister said as on January 27, 45-50% of the dredging has been completed.
In 2017, the Chennai Port Trust (CPT) and Puducherry Port (PP) entered into an agreement to develop PP as a feeder port of CPT.
A trial run using a special container vessel between Chennai and Puducherry in 2018 found the draft near PP to be less. Tender was floated to remove 73,000 cubic metres of sand from the port mouth, he said.
Mr. Sonowal said the territorial administration had sought financial assistance under Sagarmala scheme to develop the port.
The government planned to carry out capital dredging, construction of jetty, container berthing facility, and approach roads and bridges.
The Centre had sanctioned ₹44 crore for the capital dredging, the Minister said.
Source : The Hindu
