Union Minister Sonowal To Inaugurate, Lay Foundation Stone Of Three Projects At New Mangalore Port Tomorrow

Union Minister for Ports, Shipping and Waterways Sarbananda Sonowal will inaugurate and lay foundation stone of three projects at New Mangalore Port tomorrow (24 September).

These projects include laying of foundation stone for a truck parking terminal and modification of US Mallya Gate, and dedication to nation of the newly built business development centre, an Ministry of Shipping said in a release on Thursday (23 September).

According to the ministry, due to improved hinterland connectivity, the container and other general cargo traffic is increasing at the Mangalore Port.

Around 500 trucks are moving to and fro daily for evacuation of cargo from New Mangalore Port to distant places outside Dakshin Kannada district and Karnataka.

Though, the port has provided parking facilities for about 160 trucks, the existing area is found to be insufficient. Hard surface truck parking terminal has been completed for an area of 16,000 square metre at the cost of Rs 2 crore.

Additional truck parking area of 17,000 square metre would be developed at cost of Rs 1.9 crore. The Truck Terminal would be provided concrete pavement, gate house, restaurant, and dormitory at the project cost of Rs 5 crore in 2022-23, the ministry said.

The East gate of the New Mangalore Port Trust is called US Mallya Gate, named after the founder of the Port.

The proposed modification of the gate complex have dimensions of 46.6 mx 13.5 m. The gate complex has different lanes for movement of trucks, four wheeler passenger vehicles, two wheelers, pedestrians, provisions of RFID system, radiological monitoring equipment, boom barriers, etc. The cost of modification work will be Rs 3.22 crore and it would likely be completed by March 2022, according to the ministry.

The Business Development Centre and Testing Centre are built on an area of 2.80 acres on western side of NH 66 adjacent to the IOC retail outlet.

The Business Development Centre is a Stilt+ Ground+Three storey building with a total carpet area of 6300 sqm and 1200 sqm test centre building.

The project cost of construction of Business Development Centre for Export and Testing Centre is Rs 24.57 crore. The Business Development Centre will have a conference hall, restaurant, post office, banks, etc. It will provide all facilities under one roof to the EXIM (Export-Import) trade fraternity, the ministry said.

New Mangalore port, the only major port of Karnataka, is ideally located between Cochin and Goa ports.

Every aspect of the infrastructure is designed to ensure that vessels are sharply focused on the customers' logistical needs. The port has 15 fully operational berths, handling containers, coal and other cargo, the ministry said.

The Mangalore Port is accessible from three national highways - NH 66, 75 and 169. It is the meeting point of three rail routes- Konkan, South Western, Southern and accessible to Mangalore International Airport.