Andhra Pradesh, with a coastline of 974 km, is fast tracking its port (non-major port) development. The work on the upcoming four new ports in Andhra Pradesh involving an investment of about ₹12,000 crore is in full-swing, according to a senior official of Andhra Pradesh Maritime Board (APMB).

“We expect the four new ports of Ramayapatnam, Bhavanapadu, Kakinada Gateway port and Machilipatnam to be operational by the end of 2024. This will give a major boost to the social and economic development of the State,” Ravindranath Reddy, Deputy Chief Executive Office, APMB, said.

Economic boost

The construction of Ramayapatnam port is going on at a brisk pace after the foundation stone was laid by Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy in September. The financial closure for Machilipatnam port has almost been completed while for Bhavanapadu port, the land acquisition and the financial closure are in the final stages, the official said.

“To spur the speedy economic development, except Kakinada Gateway Port, the remaining three ports are being taken by the State government itself. After the bifurcation, Andhra Pradesh is left with coast line and agriculture, and hence these are our focus areas,” Reddy said.

These ports are being developed with a huge land complex so that industrial investment can be attracted to the State in view of the low cost of water transport in relation to other modes, he added.

After the completion of the four upcoming ports, Andhra Pradesh will have seven ports including Gangavaram, Kakinada and Krishnapatnam.

The State has plans to develop a port or fishing harbour every 50 km along its coast to generate employment as well as spur economic growth.

“In addition, nine state of the art fishing harbours are being developed across the state including Uppada, Visakhapatnam,Odarevu, Kothapatnam. These are highly advanced jetties costing ₹350 crore each. This will be a game-changer for fishermen,” the official added.

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