New Delhi: A Rs 110-crore jetty project, connecting Kaninali in Bhadrak district and Talachua in Kendrapara district of Odisha, will come up on the Dhamra river, cutting travelling time for passengers from 6 hours by road to 1 hour by waterway, the Ports, Shipping & Waterways (MoPSW) Ministry said Friday.
The ministry further said that the ROPAX (roll-on/roll-off passenger) jetty project will facilitate indirect employment opportunities to locals around the Dhamra river and reduce road distance of 200 km from Talachua to Dhamra.
“Ministry of Ports, Shipping & Waterways (MoPSW) has accorded administrative approval for sanction of Rs 50.30 crore for developing all-weather ROPAX (Roll-on/Roll-off Passenger)Jetty and allied infrastructure connecting Kaninali in Bhadrak district and Talachua in Kendrapara district, Odisha under the Sagarmala initiative.
“The government of Odisha will fund another 50 per cent cost of the project.,” it said.
According to the ministry, the total capital cost of the project is Rs 110.60 crore which includes construction of RO-PAX Jetty at Kaninali and Talachua, utility infrastructures such as parking area development, navigational aids and dredging.
Kaninali in Bhadrak district and Talachua in Kendrapada district, are located on the northern and southern banks of River Dhamra respectively. The people of Talachua and nearby villages largely depend upon Dhamra port for their livelihood, which is approximately 4 km from Kaninali Ghat.
The ministry pointed out that since there is no connectivity through road, the local population depends upon passenger ferries at ghats of Kaninali and Talachua to cross the river (a stretch of 7 km).
Noting that currently the number of passenger vehicles move through private boats without safety and passengers face difficulty in embarking and disembarking from launches on an everyday basis, the ministry said, “this project will enhance the safety of passengers and vehicles with state-of-the-art utility infrastructure.”
The connectivity will increase the commercial and business activities and uplift the socio-economic status of the surrounding region, it added.
PTI
