The government today said that the Indian port sector has crossed one billion tonne cargo handling capacity with inauguration of three major projects at Ennore Port.
"The capacity of Indian Port Sector has reached to 1011 million tonnes per year," Shipping Minister G K Vasan said while inaugurating three major projects with a total capacity of 15 million tonnes per annum (MTPA)at Ennore Port.
The projects include a coal terminal, an iron ore terminal and a car terminal, an official statment said here.
The ports' capacity was recorded at 617 MTPA on March 31, 2010. Earlier this month the government unveiled a new policy for the Shipping sector that entails an investment of Rs 5 lakh crore by 2020 to take the ports capacity to 3,200 MT and bring in major reforms in the space.
Out of the Rs 5 lakh crore investment proposed in the sector, Rs 3 lakh crore would be in the port sector, while the remaining Rs 2 lakh crore will be infused in the Shipping sector.
The present Rs 1.39 lakh crore National Maritime Development Project (NMDP) plan which was to expire on March 31, 2012 will be replaced with the new agenda and include its remaining projects.
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Of the 276 projects identified under the NMDP through public-private-partnership (PPP) mode, the government plans to award 21 projects worth Rs 13,952 crore projects in the current fiscal. Six such projects to augment the capacity of 13 major ports have already been awarded.
India at present has 13 major ports - Mumbai, Jawaharlal Nehru Port Trust, Kolkata (with Haldia), Chennai, Visakhapatanam, Cochin, Paradip, New Mangalore, Marmagao, Ennore, Tuticorin, Kandla and Port Blair under the control of Centre while has about 200 non major ports operated by states and private parties.