KANDLA (GUJ), Jan 7: Union minister Sarbananda Sonowal on Tuesday said the Deendayal Port in Gujarat’s Kutch district will become a mega port in the next three years with its cargo handling capacity reaching 300 million tonnes.
Sonowal, minister for ports, shipping and waterways, was addressing the audience at the Deendayal Port Authority (DPA) at Kandla after launching a host of projects.
“We all should work together to make Kandla Port a mega port. Within three years, Kandla port will establish itself as a mega port. This means a cargo handling capacity of 300 million tonnes annually…This will create new employment opportunities and help the local economy,” he said.
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Talking to reporters after the event, Sonowal said Deendayal Port is the number one port in India in terms of cargo handling capacity at present.
“Since this port holds immense potential, we have decided to build a new port. A new mega port will come up in an area beyond the creek in Kandla. Moreover, DPA has started working on setting up a shipbuilding cluster here. These are the two major projects we are currently working on,” the minister said.
During his visit to the DPA, the minister laid the foundation stone for two Centres of Excellence (CoE) dedicated to green hydrogen and green maritime fuels, an official release said.
Sonowal also inaugurated key development projects, including harbour mobile cranes for efficient cargo handling, telescopic gangway at oil jetty-8, a waste recycling plant for neighbouring Gandhidham town and a Kendriya Vidyalaya School Building.
During the visit, the Union minister also chaired a high-level B2B meeting with key stakeholders of green hydrogen. The meeting facilitated an open dialogue on opportunities for collaboration, technology adoption and investment in green hydrogen production, storage and logistics, it said. (PTI)
