Dhamra Port to be operational by April

The US$530 million Dhamra port in Orissa will be ready for commercial activities in the next two months, the Financial Express (India) reported.

"The port on the east coast will be ready to receive liners by April 2010 as scheduled originally," a spokesperson from the Dhamra Port Corporation (DPCL) said.

"Almost 85 percent of the port construction work is over by now," he added.

The DPCL, a 50:50 joint venture of L&T and Tata Steel, began construction in April 2007. Dhamra port is the first private sector port in the state.

The 18 km long channel of the port and berths are being designed for draught of 18 metres capable of handling vessels up to 180000 DWT.

DPCL is also building a 62 km single rail track from Dhamra to Bhadrak on the main Howrah-Chennai line.

(source: Cargo News Asia)