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Mr Mansukh Mandaviya, Minister of State for Shipping, Road Transport and Highways, inaugurated the state-of-the-art exhibition display of the Ministry’s ambitious Sagarmala programme at the Vibrant Gujarat Global Investors’ Summit, 2017 on Tuesday. Also present on the occasion was Mr Rabindra Agarwal, IAS, Joint Secretary, Ministry of Shipping, among other dignitaries.
The central focus of the 8th edition of the Global Summit, organised by the Gujarat government and which was inaugurated by the Prime Minister, Mr Narendra Modi, is “Sustainable Economic and Social Development.”
Gujarat and Sagarmala
Gujarat has been at the forefront of maritime development in India, under the guidance of the state’s Gujarat Maritime Board (GMB). Under the Sagarmala programme, more than 40 projects, with an estimated cost of approximately Rs 85,000 crore, have been identified across the four pillars of port modernisation and new port development, port connectivity enhancement, port-led industrial development, and coastal community development.
A) Port modernisation: Projects have been identified for capacity augmentation at existing ports, especially Kandla, to meet the future growth in cargo volumes. These include mechanisation of the cargo handling process, development of multi-purpose berths and setting up of barge and coastal jetties, to name a few.
B) Port connectivity: For enhancing port connectivity to the hinterland and creating an optimal mode of evacuation to/from ports, connectivity projects have been identified. These include:
• Port-rail connectivity projects, including connection of western DFC to Hazira, Pipavav and Mundra; providing broad gauge rail linkages to Old Bedi port, and other internal rail connectivity projects for Kandla Port.
• Port-road connectivity projects like constructing alternative road from Bhavnagar to Sosiya-Alang Ship Recycling Yard, and other internal port road connectivity projects.
• Freight expressway: Connecting Sarkhej in Ahmedabad to Mundra and Pipavav.
• Expansion of Salaya Mathura pipeline.
C) Port-led industrialisation: To leverage the ports for aiding industrialisation and facilitating export-oriented manufacturing in the state, 7 projects have been identified. These include:
• Building major industrial clusters like petrochemical cluster, cement cluster, an export-based apparel cluster in Saurashtra, an auto cluster in Sanand, a marble-based furniture hub in Kutch, and a maritime cluster in Gujarat.
• Development of a coastal economic unit (CEU) at Kandla.
D) Coastal community development: To ensure sustainable socio-economic development in the state, projects have been identified for development of coastal community. These include:
• Development of Gujarat Maritime University.
• Dredging for Ro-Pax ferry services between Gogha and Dahej in the Gulf of Cambay.
• Training programme for skill development/capacity building of workers involved in ship recycling activities at Alang.
• Dedicated coastal berth for passenger/cargo by sea at Porbandar port.
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