The Secretary of the Ministry of Ports, Shipping, and Waterways inaugurated and laid the foundation stone for various developmental projects worth more than Rs 13 crore during his visit to Paradip Port Authority (PPA) in Odisha on Monday.
He inaugurated the Trauma and Burn Care (TBC) Centre in the newly constructed annex building of Paradip Port Hospital. The Ministry of Ports, Shipping, and Waterways stated that the center, constructed at a cost of Rs 2.90 crore, will provide curative and rehabilitative services for trauma and burn victims in and around Paradip.
The Secretary also laid the foundation stone for the Water Treatment Plant of PPA. This project, costing Rs 10.50 crore, will receive raw water through the Taldanda Canal and will have the capacity to filter 16 million litres of water per day. According to the Ministry, the plant is expected to be completed by December 2024, enhancing the water infrastructure of Paradip Port and supplying quality drinking water to the citizens of Port Township.
During his visit, the Secretary reviewed the functioning of the PPA and interacted with heads and deputy heads of departments. He inspected and reviewed port operations, planning, and expansion at the Mechanized Coal Handling Plant, Twin Wagon Tipplers at JSWPTPL, and KICT silos, suggesting system improvements to increase productivity.
The Secretary recommended several measures aimed at improving the overall performance of port operations. These recommendations are expected to enhance capacity and streamline workflow, contributing to Paradip Port’s long-term growth and success.
It is noteworthy that Paradip Port in Odisha is the highest cargo-handling major port in the country. In the financial year 2023-24, PPA became the highest cargo handling port by managing 145.38 million metric tonnes (MMT) of cargo throughput. Under Vision 2047, the goal is to increase the port handling capacity to 10,000 MTPA (million metric tons per annum). The details of this plan will soon be outlined, with avenues for private participation being explored.
All ports are preparing a master plan to become mega ports by 2047. Improving port infrastructure and facilities, reducing turnaround time, and increasing handling capacity will be the foundation of the 2047 target.
The latest goal exceeds the targets set under the ongoing Sagarmala programme, which aims to boost port capacity by 800 MMTPA to a total of 3,500 MMTPA by 2035. As part of the Sagarmala programme, more than 800 projects, estimated at Rs 5.5 lakh crore, have been identified for implementation between 2015 and 2035.
The Maritime India Vision (MIV) 2030 aims to develop global standard ports in India, with estimated investments of Rs 1-1.25 lakh crore for capacity augmentation and infrastructure development at Indian ports.
(With ANI Inputs)
