Date:22/12/2007 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2007/12/22/stories/2007122259780800.htm

Tamil Nadu

Rebuilding of tsunami hit ports on schedule

Special Correspondent

Almost 40 per cent of works completed
Port facilities are being strengthened

CHENNAI: The reconstruction of the ports at Nagapattinam and Cuddalore, which were battered by the 2004 tsunami, is on schedule to be completed by August 2008.

The reconstruction under the Tsunami Emergency Assistance Project was undertaken as a three-year rebuilding initiative by the Tamil Nadu Maritime Board (TNMB) on a Rs. 64-crore assistance of Asian Development Bank.

“Almost 40 per cent of the works have been completed at a cost of Rs. 22.81 crore,” C. Muthukumaraswamy, TNMB vice chairman and CEO, told a press meet on Thursday.

At Nagapattinam, the completed works include rehabilitation of the north and south breakwaters, the diaphragm wall, cargo handling zone and inner roads, illumination logistics and weighbridge. The port facilities are being strengthened with the acquisition of a dredger and patrol boat.

The reconstruction of breakwaters at Cuddalore is over and the remaining works are expected to be completed before March 2008. One of the major engineering challenges at Nagapattinam was the construction of a sea wall of reinforced concrete, especially given the complex nature of the job and the difficulty of the site — the isthmus wedged between river mouth and the sea.

The sea wall that will be 9 m deep and along a distance of 650 metres will provide protection against ravage, said Captain Gopinath, State Ports Officer of TNMB.

The works are subjected to review by experts from the Indian Institute of Technology and Anna University. The officials said the TNMB had been engaged in development of port infrastructure with the State Government through public -private- partnerships. The Board is mandated with the upkeep of 16 minor ports that include conventional and captive ports under the State Government. Of these, 10 are operational, two are in the concept stage and the rest in pipeline status, they said.

The Board has also proposed the linking up of the ports at Nagapattinam, Colachel and Rameswaram with the Sethu project.