7 new ports part of Gujarat’s push for infrastructure

In a major push to port infrastructure, the Gujarat government has finalised plans to develop six to seven new ports in the state. Large investments would flow into the port sector in the coming years, a senior government official said.

The state government is planning ports at Dahej, Nargol, Vansi Borsi and Kutchhigarh, and works related to the project are at different stages. Adani Group is already developing a solid cargo port at Hazira.

The government has also identified Dholera and Khambhat as prospective sites for developing ports, but the plans have been put on hold temporarily in view of the Kalpasar project. “The port projects will be developed under the public private partnership model. The state government is also planning other ports, but they are still at the preliminary stage,” BK Sinha, additional chief secretary, ports & transport department, said.

At an average investment of Rs800 crore to Rs1,000 crore, officials expect that these six -seven port projects alone will attract investment of Rs5,500 crore to Rs7,000 crore in  next 2-3 years.
Sinha said that the ports would enable the state government to make maximum use of the state's 1,600-km long coastline, which is ideal to facilitate movement of goods. "Gujarat is strategically positioned to act as the hub of coastal trade. Already, minor ports in Gujarat account for 76% of the total cargo handled in the country. This is expected to rise further with development of more ports,” Sinha said. According to officials, the major ports in the state account for more than one-third of the total cargo handled at ports in the whole country.

The total cargo handling capacity of non-major ports in the state is around 300 million metric tonne per annum (mmtpa), which is projected to increase to 500 mmpta by 2015. MoUs of more than Rs1 lakh crore were signed in the port sector at the VGS earlier this year.