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The Administrative office for the proposed new Major Port at Enayam in Kanyakumari district in Tamil Nadu was inaugurated on Monday (September 5, 2016) by Hon’ble Union Minister of State for Road Transport, Highways and Shipping Shri Pon Radhakrishnan. Located close to the Project Site, the Administrative office will serve as the base for this new Greenfield Deep Sea Port Project, for which V.O. Chidambaranar Port Trust is the nodal Port.
Hon’ble Union Minister of State Shri Pon Radhakrishnan marked the inauguration of the Administrative office by cutting the ribbon and unveiled the plaque on this special occasion. Followed by this, the Hon’ble Minister lighted the ceremonial kuthu vilakku. In his inaugural address, Hon’ble Minister Shri Pon Radhakrishnan said that the Enayam Port Project when implemented, all sections of the people in Kanyakumari district will be benefited as it will provide livelihood opportunities to all of them. “The entire land needed for the Enayam Project will be reclaimed from the sea to protect the interests of the fishing community,” he pointed out.
The New Major Port at Enayam will be developed as a world class Deep Sea Port with the best global standards in terms of deep draft (16m – 18,000 TEU capacity vessels), operative systems, efficiency and quality of service. When implemented, the Enayam Project will facilitate shipment of Indian containers direct to destinations, avoiding transshipment and consequential additional costs.
In 2014-15, about 2.8 million TEUs of India destined containers were transshipped at international Ports like Colombo, Singapore, Kelang etc of which, 1.2 million TEUs were handled at Colombo Port alone. It is estimated that the Indian Port Industry loses about Rs.1500 Crores of revenue per year on transshipment handling of cargoes originating/destined for India.
The exporters/importers in South India incur an additional charge of Rs.5000-6000 per TEU due to the transshipment making our exports less competitive. The Enayam transshipment Port, which will be located closer to the East-West Shipping route (14 nautical miles), will immensely benefit both India’s Port Sector and EXIM trade. It is also worthwhile to note here that the Enayam Port Project’s Administrative Office was inaugurated on the historic occasion of 145th Birth Anniversary of one of the foremost freedom fighter V.O. Chidambaranar, also known as Kappalottiya Tamilan (The Tamil Helmsman).
The Rs. 27,570 crore Enayam Project with the capacity of 127 MTPA will be implemented in 3 phases. The first phase of the Project estimated to cost Rs. 6,575 crore with the capacity of 24 MTPA is expected to go on stream by 2020. The Union Cabinet chaired by the Hon’ble Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi gave its in-principle approval for setting up this new Major Port at Enayam on July 5, 2016. Exactly two months after this, the Enayam Port Project has seen its first milestone.
Shri Pravir Krishn, Joint Secretary (Ports), Shri S. Anantha Chandra Bose, Chairman, V.O. Chidambaranar Port Trust, Shri S. Natarajan, Deputy Chairman, V.O. Chidambaranar Port Trust & Officer on Special Duty, Enayam Port Project and Shri S. Veeramuthumoni, Advisor, Enayam Port Project and Heads of Departments of V.O. Chidambaranar Port Trust were present during the inauguration ceremony.
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