Jagan to lay foundation for Greenfield Mulapeta Port

Vijayawada: Chief Minister Y.S Jagan Mohan Reddy would visit Srikakulam on Wednesday and lay the foundation stone for the Mulapeta Greenfield Port.

He would go to Naupada village and lay the foundation for the Budagatlapalem fishing harbour and the Hiramandalam Vamsadhara Lift Irrigation project and address a public meeting.

The port, in the first phase, would have three general cargo berths and a bulk cargo terminal. It will initially have a handling capacity of 23.53 million tonnes. Infrastructure will be developed in an area of 500 acres.

A decade-long dream of the northern Andhra people is coming to fruition with the Bhoomi Pooja of Mulapeta Port. A comprehensive development plan aims to totally transform the looks of Srikakulam district.

“The chief minister will perform Bhoomi Puja to Mulapeta Port costing around ₹ 4,362 crore in Santhabommali mandal. The CM will also lay foundation to a fishing harbour worth ₹ 360 crore on the shores of Budagatlapalem in Etcherla mandal, and for the Vamsadhara Lift Irrigation project from Gotta Barrage to Hiramandalam reservoir costing ₹ 176.35 crore and the Mahendratanaya offshore reservoir project works that are estimated to cost ₹ 852 crores,” an official statement said.

The plan is to set up a total of four berths to be utilised for general cargo, coal, multipurpose containers and to handle other exports and imports with a capacity of 23.5 million tonnes per annum. The Mulapeta Port works are to be completed in 30 months, it said.

Mulapeta Port plays a key role in handling exports and imports from states like Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh and southern part of Odisha. The construction of new ports in the state at a cost of ₹ 16,000 crore is planned at Ramayapatnam, Machilipatnam, Kakinada Gateway and Mulapeta, thereby creating huge employment opportunities and facilitating exports at low transportation cost, the release said.

A Relief and Rehabilitation package of ₹ 109 crore has been sanctioned to the 594 displaced families of Vishnuchakram and Mulapeta villages. Under this, the construction of R&R colony in Naupada village in 55 acres, with modern amenities, will be started. The Mulapeta Port provides direct and indirect employment to 25,000 people.

Ministers Appalaraju and Amarnath said the state government is constructing four seaports in four years. The construction of Ramayapatnam Port has started and the works of Kakinada SEZ Port are in fast mode. The foundation for the Machilipatnam Port is to be laid soon, they said.

Explaining the features of Mulapeta Port, the ministers said the port capacity is 23.5 million tonnes per annum, with four berths. A four-lane highway for a stretch of 13.8km connecting NH16 and a 10.6km railway lane from Naupada junction to the port would be constructed.

A 50km pipeline from Gotta barrage to supply 0.5 million litres of water per day and a cargo-handling and port-led industries in 5000 acres of land adjacent to the port are helpful to fishermen families to get employment and works, they said.

The ministers said Visakhapatnam, a fast-growing city, is changing the facade of northern Andhra. “The foundation stone for the Bhogapuram International Airport is to be laid next month. A six-lane highway between Bhogapuram  and Visakhapatnam is planned. The International Data Centre is to be set up in Visakhapatnam next month and the works of the Fishing Harbour at Manchineelapeta are progressing at a brisk pace.”

“Mulapeta Port would be the central point for the import of raw materials required for key industries, like thermal coal, coking coal, fertilizers, raw cashew nuts, limestone and cooking oils. There also is an opportunity to export and import coal and pig iron required by steel manufacturing companies and to export pig iron, mineral sand, cashew nuts, granite, ferro products, jute, iron, steel products and fish products.”

They said the Mulapeta Port-linked logistics would help farmers export their agricultural produce and also help in industrialization of the coastal areas and the areas surrounding the port.