RAMANATHAPURAM: Tamil Nadu Maritime Board Vice-chairman and CEO M Vallalar inspected the Rameswaram port and spoke about the developments of the Rameswaram - Jaffna and Rameswaram - Talaimannar sea cruise operations.
Announcements in this regard were made by the state and the Centre earlier. Accordingly, officials from the maritime board inspected the location for the jetty’s construction on Sunday.
Following the inspection, Vallalar said, "As announced by the highways department and the Centre, action is being taken to start ferry services to Talaimannar from Rameswaram. We have inspected three areas in Rameswaram to operate the jetty for the ferry, of which one will be selected and environmental clearance will be sought.
A temporary jetty will be built for the ferry operations, and a permanent terminal with all amenities will be constructed later. The ferry movement and cargo movement will improve the economic growth of Rameswaram."
Further, he said that to boost tourism, ferry rides around Rameswaram are planned by the state government, and two floating jetties are to be built at Agni Theertham and Villundi Theertham.
Vallalar also inspected the rain-affected areas and added that about 774 hectares of crops in the district were inundated following the cloud burst in Ramanathapuram. Officials were directed to take action to drain off stagnant water in low-lying areas. The animal husbandry department was also asked to conduct special camps across the district to treat cattle affected by rain.