Sandesh Prabhudesai
28 September 1997
The Mormugao port trust will acquire more than double of the existing area by reclaiming more land in the Arabian sea, to meet the forthcoming challenges and make it a multi-commodity port by end of the century.
The century-old port was built at a fine natural Mormugao harbour during Portuguese regime, by reclaiming land from the sea, while linking it through the metre gauge railway line built by the Britishers.
Dr Jose Paul, chairman of the MPT, said that the authority will reclaim around 700 acres of land in Vasco bay, which will benefit the port to sustain its estimated activity of next 50 years.
The reclamation activity will also deepen the channel by 16.8 metres, parallel to the existing channel. It would be developed following the Japanese pattern, he added.
Similarly, Paul also disclosed that MPT has entered into an agreement with ABG heavy industries, Mumbai to develop two berths of the existing port, on boot basis. The Rs 224 crore project, to be completed by 2000, would be given on lease of 30 years.
By having most developed facilities at these berths, the MPT is getting prepared to pull in traffic from Bellary - Hospet sector as well as the west coast sector once the Konkan railway and the south central railway gets fully commissioned.
In order to overcome the power problem port is facing since September 1994, Paul said the MPT will now purchase power from Salgaoncar reliance Pvt ltd, who has been authorised by the state government to sell 10 mw additional power privately, of its total 50 mw of power to be generated by October next year.
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