The Hindu Business Line : Work on Stage II cargo wharf at Old Mangalore Port begins

THE construction of the second stage cargo wharf at Old Mangalore Port, which began on Sunday, is likely to enhance productivity by 50 per cent. This will also increase the number of ships and small cargo boats berthing at the port.

Chandragiri Construction Company, Kasargod, has taken up the construction of the jetty, estimated to cost around Rs 6 crore. The work is expected to be completed in 30 months.

The State Government gave administrative approval for the work on April 23, 2003and accorded technical sanction on July 23.

The proposal for the work includes the construction of a 150-metre-long and 12-metre-wide wharf. Facilities such as channel dredging to a depth of 6 metres, diesel bunkering and drinking water will also be provided at the wharf.

The work also includes the construction of a 14.5-metre-high diaphragm wall in all strata, except hard rock. In the hard rock area, the height of diaphragm wall will be 1 metre.

The port transports cement, rice, granite jelly and boulders, bricks, tiles, petrol, diesel, kerosene, and pig iron to Lakshadweep islands, and receives copra and dry fish from there. In 2002-03, it transported 30,025 tonnes of pig iron to Gujarat and Mumbai ports.

Small cargo boats have done most of the business for this port. During 2002-03, 40 ships and 743 small cargo boats berthed at the port.

During that period, the port handled 1,19,979 tonnes of cargo. Of them, 71,450 tonnes of cargo was handled by small cargo boats and 48,529 tonnes by ships.