JNPT fast tracks Wadhwan port project

In its quest to upgrade and convert Wadhwan port as a satellite port for the trust, Jawaharlal Nehru Port Trust (JNPT) has fast tracked the project and the Detailed Project Report (DPR) for this much-awaited major port is expected to be completed and finalised very shortly, Deputy Chairman, JNPT, Neeraj Bansal said.

He added that certain issues such as environmental clearances are being looked afresh in the DPR with the possibility of reclaiming land from the sea in order to minimize land acquisition. The new-age port will be built to accommodate large-sized foreign vessels that require upto 60-80 metres of draft as the trust needs a port which has a natural draft of at least over 16 metres and Wadhwan has a 20 metre draft. The proposed port will have a capacity of 40-60 million tonnes so that it could play a critical role in coastal shipping and in environmental-friendly handling of cargo.