Augmentation: Kolkata Port to invest Rs 1300 cr in projects

kolkata: Kolkata Port, now known as Syama Prasad Mookerjee Port (SMP), is undertaking various projects that include boosting river cruise tourism through development of river cruise terminals and jetties, and augmentation of port's capacity of cargo handling with an investment of around Rs 1300 crore.

SMP, Kolkata is also considering a "concept project" for constructing a tunnel underneath the river Ganges to facilitate hassle free cargo movement from Kolkata side to the Howrah side and vice versa.

"The movement of cargo through the congested road space in the city is time consuming and restrictions on the movement of heavy vehicles at many places during the day aggravates the problem. An underground tunnel will ensure smooth and faster movement of cargo in trucks. We are soon floating a tender to engage a consultant for the feasibility study," SMP chairman Vinit Kumar said,

Kumar highlighted the projects, both present and upcoming, which seeks to augment this riverine port's connectivity and cargo movement.

He highlighted that river cruises were in high demand before the pandemic outbreak but remained stalled since 2020.

"The port has taken up a project worth Rs 66 crore where we would be setting up a river terminal by renovating the existing jetty and adding another pontoon at our Indenture Memorial site where the land is being developed by us. This project will be implemented through a PPP model and the government will partially fund it. The detailed project report for this has been sent to the Ministry of Port and Shipping for approval," Kumar said adding that for local river tours, where tourists are taken to various heritage spots of the Kolkata Port, jetties are being developed at Outram Ghat and Takta Ghat in the city.

The cruise tour season will be starting this October and the port hopes to complete this before that.