JNPT looks to revisit master plan

The Jawaharlal Nehru Port Trust (JNPT) authorities want to revisit their master plan, which was prepared just five years ago, to augment the port’s cargo handling capacity and improve efficiency through remedial measures.

Sources said that the previous master plan would be updated with the project’s current status, revising the timelines if required.

“Since August 2016, there have been various developments at JN Port and no waterfront area is now left for conducting technical feasibility of the projects. To explore the avenues to modernise the port further and improve efficiency along with reduced dwell time, we want to explore the possibilities by having a relook at the earlier master plan and updating it accordingly,” said an official who did not want to be named.

The JN Port has five container terminals, four of which are owned and operated by private players and one liquid cargo terminal. Until a few months ago, the port next to Navi Mumbai was India’s largest container port in terms of throughput. Port throughput reflects the quantity of cargo or the number of vessels a port handles over a specified period.

The master plan devised in August 2016 has divided the work into three phases with the deadlines of 2020, 2025 and 2030. Some of the projects meant for 2020 include restricting the JNPT yard for optimal yard utilisation, integrated common rail yard, deepening and widening of JNPT and Mumbai Channel, and Special Economic Zone’s infrastructure development.