The Chennai Port Trust here has taken up dredging activities in order to attract large number of cruise vessels and has received Rs 70.24 crore as grant from the Tourism Ministry for the purpose, a top official said.
"We have been taking up dredging activities for receiving large cruise vessels. In fact, a maiden cruise vessel 'Viking Sun' was handled (by us) on April 1," he said.
Elaborating, he said, the existing cruise terminal has been upgraded and modernised to international standards following the grant received from Ministry of Tourism.
The Port Trust is ready to receive the Cruise Vessels with all facilities required, he said.
The 'Viking Sun' cruise vessel with 845 tourists on board was handled at the Chennai Port Trust en route to Cochin.
He said the Port Trust was also awarded the 'Best Tourist Friendly Harbour Award' during the Tamil Nadu Tourism Award ceremony held last month based on the State-of-the-Art cruise facilities available at the Port.
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It was in recognition to the efforts taken by the Port to encourage tourism through cruise vessels, he noted.
On the initiatives taken to transport containers through ships to Puducherry, he said the Port Trust undertook first ever coastal movement of containers to neighbouring Union Territory in February.
"The movement of about 1,500 to 2,000 containers per week between Chennai and Puducherry commenced on February 23. Due to this initiative, there will be reduction of trucks carrying containers on road," he said.