Govt nod to 175-ha land in 1st phase of riverine port project

Bhubaneswar: Although the state government has identified 300 hectares of land for a riverine port’s development on the Mahanadi in Akhadasali village in Kendrapada district’s Mahakalapada block, only 175 hectares will be utilised in the first phase, said official sources. The remaining portion will be used for the facility’s future development. Also, the first phase will see development of 18.43 MMTPA of the port’s projected cargo handling capacity of 45.88 MMTPA.
The government has accorded in-principle approval to the Paradip Port Authority (PPA) to set up the port on the Mahanadi’s left bank. Of the total estimated cost of Rs 4,000 crore, nearly Rs 2,085 crore will be spent in the first phase to establish the facility, the sources added.
While along with land, the government will provide other facilities for the project, the PPA is likely to develop supporting infrastructures like rail and road connectivity and dredging requirements of the port, which will be connected to National Highway-53 and Haridaspur-Paradip railway line for cargo transportation.
On commissioning, the port will provide direct and indirect employment opportunities to over 4,000 people in the first phase and about another 1,700 in the second phase. “The port has been planned to cater to the transportation needs of Odisha, Jharkhand and Chhattisgarh.