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Visakhapatnam port has been adjudged the second cleanest in the country by the Union Shipping Ministry, according to port chairman M.T Krishna Babu.
He told the media here on Sunday that the Quality Council of India, an independent agency set up by the Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion (Ministry of Commerce) with the involvement of Assocham, CII and FICCI, was appointed to conduct the study under Swachh Bharat Abhiyan. In the rankings Haldia Dock emerged as the No. 1 and Visakhapatnam Port No. 2 among the major ports in India in maintaining cleanliness. Haldia scored 30 marks more than Visakhapatnam Port.
Krishna Babu, who returned here after receiving the award in Panaji from Union Shipping Minister Nitin Gadkari on Saturday, said the employees of the port as well as the stevedores and other stakeholders had cooperated wholeheartedly in keeping the port clean.
Measures like cleaning the wharf, sold waste management, covered stacking area, recycling of sewage water, dust suppression, greenery, generating solar power and constructing high-rise wall to prevent spread of particles had helped Visakhapatnam Port score more marks than other major ports.
Mechanisation
He said the port had undertaken massive mechanisation for the past few years to reduce pollution. The port had undertaken projects worth Rs. 5,000 crore to make it world-class by increasing the capacity from 98 million tonne to 135 million tonne by 2019. Half of the sum had already been spent on the ongoing projects, he added.
He said the process was on to issue an Expression of Interest notification for appointment of an international consultant for better environmental management.
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