Boost to inland waterways, passenger ships to sail from Thoothukudi to three locations

Addressing the press in Thoothukudi on Thursday, S Natarajan, Deputy Chairman, VOC Port Trust, said the proposed service would begin within three months.

He informed that expression of interest had been called for and after the bids were received, a meeting of all the stakeholders, including to discuss the mode of operation and facilities required for passenger ferries. The ships most likely would be operated from the old harbour in Thoothukudi, Natarajan added.

During the day, Natarajan flagged off a new bi-weekly container service from Dakshin Bharat Gateway Terminal (DGBT) in Thoothukudi to Colombo. The container ship can handle up to 1,200 twenty feet equivalent units (TEUs) and it would run on Wednesdays and Sundays.

Natarajan said that the DGBT has been functioning at the VOC Port for four years and its handling capacity has been increasing year after year. For instance, the terminal handled 1.1 l lakh TEUs in 2016, whereas in 2017, the quantum rose to 1.3 lakh TEUs.

The infrastructure of the commission is fully commissioned with the setting up of K-cranes and yard cranes and the handling capacity of the terminal will further increase. Also to increase the capacity of VOC Port, dredging at a depth of minus 16 metres (-16m) would be completed in another three years, said Natarajan.