Cochin Port Trust and the Indian Navy have entered into a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for utilising the Q2-Q3 berths at Mattancherry Wharf of Cochin Port for berthing naval ships. The MoU was signed last week on behalf of Cochin Port Trust by Mr Goutam Gupta, Traffic Manager, and Commodore Deepak Kumar, Chief Staff Officer (Ops), Southern Naval Command for the Indian Navy.
As per the MoU, Cochin Port’s Q2 and Q3 berths at Mattancherry Wharf, totalling 228 m of quay length, will be handed over to the Navy for 5 years for berthing their ships.
The Navy had requested exclusive berthing facility at Cochin Port for their vessels during the reconstruction period of their own berths. In view of the national interest involved, Cochin Port examined the request and decided that its oldest wharf, Mattancherry Wharf, could be spared since it is not suitable any longer for berthing of big cargo ships due to limitation of draught and displacement.
This is a landmark decision in the history of Cochin Port and will go a long way in the combined efforts of the Port and Navy to ensure the safety of the nation.
