Sonowal announces Rs 1,500-crore cruise terminal in Puri

Puri: Union minister Sarbananda Sonowal Tuesday announced the development of an international cruise terminal in Puri at an estimated cost of Rs 1,500 crore.

The Paradip Port Authority (PPA), in partnership with the Odisha government, will develop the proposed terminal, he said while chairing a meeting of his ministry’s consultative committee on strengthening coastal and cruise shipping.

Addressing the gathering, the Union Minister for Ports, Shipping and Waterways said the government aims to double the share of coastal and inland waterway shipping in India’s freight movement from the current 6 per cent by 2047 and attract one million sea cruise passengers by 2029.

The targets are part of two proposed initiatives — the Coastal Cargo Promotion Scheme and the Cruise Bharat Mission.

“In the last 12 years under Prime Minister Narendra Modi, India’s maritime sector has undergone massive transformations,” he said.

Minister of State for Ports, Shipping and Waterways Shantanu Thakur and eight MPs attended the meeting.

India has a coastline of more than 11,000 km, offering significant potential for transporting freight over long distances through a comparatively cleaner mode, he said.

Coastal cargo handled at Indian ports has increased from 74 million metric tonnes to 177 million metric tonnes over the past 12 years, registering a growth of around 140 per cent, Sonowal said.

“Under Modi’s dynamic leadership, our coastline and our rivers are being turned into engines of growth. The Coastal Cargo Promotion Scheme and the Cruise Bharat Mission will move more cargo by sea and bring more visitors to our shores, creating jobs and protecting the environment,” he said.

Sonowal said 143 river cruise terminals and landing points were operational across the country.

The two initiatives are together expected to generate more than 5.6 lakh jobs and save 16 million metric tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions, he added.

The minister also highlighted the development of National Waterway-5 in Odisha, estimated to cost more than Rs 13,000 crore.

The waterway is intended to connect the state’s industrial and mining centres, including Talcher and Kalinganagar, with ports along the eastern coast.