Facilities to handle Lakshadweep, Andaman cargo at Kasaba Bengre

Mangalore Today News Network

Mangaluru, Sep 17, 2019: Minister Kota Srinivas Poojary stated on september 16, Monday, that the work on a coastal berth near Kasaba Bengre under the Sagarmala project is set to commence.  Permission for the Rs 65-crore project is, however, yet to be obtained from the Department of Environment and CRZ authorities, he added.

At the meeting, Sujan Rao, Port department assistant executive engineer, said that Rs 25 crore will be released by the Centre and Rs 40 crore will be released by state government. “The coastal berth will be 350-metre-long and would handle cargo from Lakshadweep and Andaman and Nicobar Islands. The new berth will have double the cargo-handling capacity of the old port. A minimum of 15 houses would be demolished in order to construct the coastal berth,” he said.

The minister directed officials to get approval from the departments concerned at the earliest.

Rao said that there was a proposal to take up capital dredging work from the north wharf of the port to the river mouth.

“The dredging work proposed involves the creation of an 80-metre channel with a seven-metre draft, to facilitate the entry of heavy vessels to the old port. At present, the depth of the draft at the old port is 3.5 metre. The estimated cost of the project is Rs 29 crore, which will be shared equally by the state and Centre,” he added.

The assistant engineer also said that Deputy Commissioner Sindhu Rupesh had convened a meeting to discuss the environmental impact of the two proposed projects.

Rao said that the government had already approved of the development of a jetty to anchor the traditional boats at Bengre, at an estimated cost of Rs 337 crore. The proposal is likely to get technical approval shortly and proceed accordingly.