The Hindu Business Line : Phase I of Krishnapatnam Port goes on stream

Goes on stream: The phase-I of the Krishnapatnam Port in Nellore district of Andhra Pradesh was inaugurated by the UPA Chairperson, Ms Sonia Gandhi, on Thursday. The Rs 10,000-crore port would have a container terminal. The promoters, CVR group, said work would begin soon to make it a container hub. Major industries including power are to come up near the port area. Its geographical advantage is expected to make the port a major hub for coal imports and iron ore exports.

K.V. Kurmanath

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Krishnapatnam (Nellore Dist), July 17 The Rs 10,000-crore Krishnapatnam Port, which is about 180 km from the port city of Chennai, would soon have a container terminal.

Addressing a gathering after the inaugural of the first phase here on Thursday, Mr C.V. Rao, Chairman of CVR group, which promotes the port, said that work would soon begin at the port site to make it a container hub.

Fast completion

Earlier, Ms Sonia Gandhi, Chairperson of United Progressive Alliance, inaugurated the Rs 1,200-crore phase-I of the project with four terminals.

Addressing the gathering, she said the first phase had been completed in just 18 months.

Ms Gandhi commended the Andhra Pradesh Government for taking up infrastructure projects such as the Rajiv Gandhi International Airport in Hyderabad and Krishnapatnam Port.

Stating that the port would emerge as a major hub in the next few years, she said power, steel and cement factories would come up around the port area. Ms Gandhi hoped that the port would become the greenest port in the country.

Natural port

The port, located on the Kandaleru Creek system, has the advantage of having a 12.5-metre protected waterfront, enabling the company to go for 42 deep-water berths of 15-19 metres depth.

It can also house different zones to take care of bulk, container, liquid and general cargo.

Power plant

Earlier, Ms Gandhi laid the foundation stone for the Rs 8,300-crore mega super critical power generation plant at Muttukur, abutting the port.

The 1600-MW power plant, to be constructed by the Andhra Pradesh Power Development Corporation, would be ready by 2012.

The project has been named after the late Damodaram Sanjeevaiah. Ninety per cent of the power generated here would be used in the State, with the rest being diverted for use in other States under the national mega power policy.