VISAKHAPATNAM: Union Minister of State for Ports Shantanu Thakur laid the foundation stone for a cruise terminal here on Friday, which is expected to give a big boost to tourism in North Coastal Andhra.
As part of the Rs 103 crore cruise terminal project, a berth with a length of 330 metres will be constructed at Green Channel of the outer harbour to accommodate 300 m LOA, 37.6 m Beam and 8.1 m Draft vessels.“The length of the regular berth will be 180 m with two dolphin moorings on either side of it,’’ he told the media.
The cruise terminal will be ready within one year. A terminal building of 2,000 sq m with all amenities such as gangways, lounge, restaurant, entertainment and recreation shopping will also be part of the project. There will also be immigration and custom facilities.The Union Minister also laid the foundation stone for a covered shed and ultra modern truck parking facility at INS Dega. He said the Visakhapatnam Port Trust (VPT) has attracted Rs 22,000 crore investments during the maritime summit. These projects will boost economic growth and regional development,’’ he said.
HPCL is one of the major investors as it is expanding its capacity from 7.5 MTPA to 15 MPTA. The port has also taken up several projects under Sagarmala. “Seven projects under the PPP mode have been given the nod and works of five of them have begun,’’ he said.The port invested Rs 150 crore for constructing a fishing harbour under the Pradhan Mantri Matsya Sampada Yojana, which is aimed at bringing about a blue revolution through sustainable development, he added. Earlier, he visited Sri Varaha Lakshmi Narasimha Swamy temple at Simhachalam.