The dream Satellite port project at Puducherry takes off after a delay of four years

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will inaugurate the capital dredging of the Mini Port at Puducherry a project that has been under the consideration of the shipping ministry for the last four years. He will inaugurate the capital dredging of the mini port at Uppalam to be developed under Sagarmala project.

Chennai and Puducherry ports had signed an MOU nearly four years ago

Chennai and Puducherry ports had signed an MOU nearly four years ago. According to the MOU Puducherry will become the satellite port of Chennai and that the container cargo cleared by customs  from the Puducherry port will proceed directly to container terminals in Chennai port.

This will reduce road transportation of containers from industries inCentral Tamil nadu through congested Grand Southern trunkway leading to Chennai city and provide for swift transportation through sea. But the project encountered the first problem of shallow draft at Puducherry port. Awarding contract for capital dredging at the Upalam port to provide for six meters of draft was under the consideration stage of the Port and shipping ministry and the Puducherry government for nearly four years.

As of now even small ships cannot enter Puducherry port

As of now even small ships cannot enter Puducherry port and they wait in the mid stream and barges transport cargo from the mid sea to the port. Once the capital dredging project at the Uppalam port is completed, small container vessels could come alongside and berth at the Uppalam Port.

It however remains to be seen when the capital dredging project will be completed. Another hurdle in transporation of containers is the narrow roads that the container lorries have to negotiate to enter the Uppalam port. The container lorries cannot enter the port without widening some of the narrow bridges that leads to the Port.

PM to inaugurate the first phase of the JIPMER Karaikal complex

The Prime Minister will inaugurate the first phase of the JIPMER Karaikal complex which was cleared nearly ten years ago by the then Union health minister Anbumani Ramdoss. He will also lay the foundation stone for phase II of the campus as well as inaugurate the historic Marie building, reconstructed with finance from the World Bank on Beach Road in Puducherry, and other projects during his visit on February 25.