Union Minister of Ports, Shipping & Waterways, Sarbananda Sonowal, launched capacity-building and modernization initiatives worth over ₹276 crore at Visakhapatnam Port. The event featured the foundation stones for six major projects totaling ₹116 crore, focused on enhancing port capacity and improving maritime operations. Significant projects include the construction of the B-Ramp (₹33.49 crore) and a new finger jetty at the fishing harbor (₹32.61 crore), both designed to bolster cargo handling and benefit the local fishing community.
Additionally, several projects were inaugurated, totaling ₹159.96 crore, including the commissioning of Oil Refinery Berth-2 (₹42 crore) and advanced fire-fighting systems at OSTT Berth (₹27 crore). Infrastructure upgrades will also consist of a covered storage shed (₹22.50 crore) and road improvements (₹19.69 crore), enhancing overall efficiency and safety.
Digitization efforts will be propelled by a new RFID-based gate management system (₹15 crore) and a modern Port Operating System (₹10.77 crore), alongside a Vessel Traffic Management System (VTMS) worth ₹15.83 crore. This modernization aims to provide unmatched efficiency and global competitiveness to Indian ports, as emphasized by Minister of State Shantanu Thakur and Visakhapatnam MP M. Sribharat, who acknowledged the role of Andhra Pradesh’s leadership in port development.
