BHUBANESWAR : With the state government focusing on port-led industrialisation, the much-awaited all-weather Subarnarekha port along the Bay of Bengal is all set to take shape.
Sanctioned in 2008, the proposed multipurpose port adjacent to the mouth of Subarnarekha river near Chaumukh village in Balasore district was initially stalled due to land acquisition hurdles, alienation for connectivity to the port and resistance from locals.
Sources said, the final public hearing, which was postponed due to cyclone Dana in October, has been rescheduled to be held on December 17 at Dagara. Local authorities and port officials are leaving no stone unturned for a positive outcome of the meeting as construction activities are expected to commence after the public hearing.
The project will come up in an area of over 1,105 acre, including 692.68 acre of government land, with an initial capacity to handle 31 million tonne of cargo per year. Except for railway lines and roads, neither any private land will be acquired for the project, nor will anyone be displaced, the sources said.
A concession agreement was signed between the Odisha government and Creative Port Development Private Limited in January 2008 to develop the Subarnarekha Port under a build, own, operate, share, and transfer (BOOST) model.
Although the environmental clearance was obtained from the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change in 2012, the project did not take off.
Tata Steel acquired a 51 per cent stake in the project in 2018 and subsequently Subarnarekha Port Pvt Ltd (SPPL) was formed as a special purpose vehicle. The foundation stone of the port to be built at an estimated cost of Rs 5,600 crore was laid in 2019.
Some of the villagers have been opposing the project as they fear they may be displaced and deprived of their livelihood if the port is allowed in their vicinity.
According to port officials, cargo movement to and from the port will primarily utilise rail transport which will provide protection along the river side and unblocking of river mouth for smooth river water flow would reduce flood risk and land erosion risk to the nearby villages.
Executive director of SPPL Sushanta Kumar Mishra said the port will be built on the government land and after reclaiming the seabed without involving any displacement of people.
“Around 692 acre of encroachment free government land has been allotted and the additional land required for future development will be through reclaimed land inside the seabed only. There would be no displacement. No private land is required for the port development other than the rail and road connectivity,” he added.