The Chennai port would shift its coal operations to the Ennore port in the next five years as it was causing pollution, said Union Minister of Shipping and Road Transport TR Baalu.
It would take at least 5 years to shift the entire operations. The administration,therefore, has installed a new semi-mechanised closed coal conveyor system, built at a cost of Rs 43 crore in the port, for unloading coal.
Inaugurating the system, the minster said of the 57.15 million tonne cargo handled during the last financial year, about 10 million tonne was coal.
On the occasion, the Chennai Port Trust signed a memorandum of understanding with Indian Maritime University for sharing infrastructure facilities to train seafarers. The minister said the Centre would approach the Shipping Corporation of India among others for securing a used ship to train students.