Chennai-Vladivostok Maritime Corridor soon, says Sonowal

CHENNAI: India is in discussion with Russia to inaugurate the Chennai-Vladivostok Maritime Corridor aimed at boosting maritime ties between the two countries, Union Minister Sarabananda Sonowal said on Sunday.

The Union Minister of Ports, Shipping and Waterways, who was here to review the performance of Chennai Port and Kamarajar Port, inaugurated a slew of projects worth Rs 148 crore.

India was in talks with Russia to open the Chennai-Vladivostok Maritime Corridor, he said at the event. The discussion between the two countries was aimed at bolstering maritime trade, he added.

“This corridor will serve this purpose, acting as a conduit of growth and investment cooperation between two historic cities with rich marine history -- Chennai and Vladivostok -- of the two countries,” he said.

Sonowal later inaugurated three new projects worth Rs 56 crore at Chennai Port and another project at Kamarajar Port worth Rs 92 crore.

“These two ports are performing well in the last four years and Prime Minister Narendra Modi has been giving special emphasis on transformational initiatives in sectors like ports, airways and railways,” the Union Minister told reporters.

Sonowal unveiled four plaques commemorating the inauguration of the projects at an event held at Chennai Port on Saturday.

“In FY-2022-23, Kamarajar Port achieved second highest growth among 12 major ports. Chennai Port has taken a lot of initiatives to attract container traffic in a highly competitive environment,” he said.

The three projects inaugurated by Sonowal at Chennai Port Trust include construction of bunker berths under the Sagarmala programme, development of goods shed at Jolarpet and setting up of a sewage treatment plant, a press release said.

At Kamarajar Port, the Union Minister inaugurated the widening and concreting of the port access road.

Sonowal to open National Technology Centre for Ports, Waterways & Coasts today

The Union Minister of Ports, Shipping and Waterways Sarbananda Sonowal will inaugurate National Technology Centre for Ports, Waterways and Coasts (NTCWPC), IIT-M – Discovery Campus on Monday in Chennai. The new institute has been established in IIT-M at a cost of Rs 77 crore under the Sagarmala Programme. The institute acts as a technological arm of the Ministry and develops cutting-edge technologies and application products to provide solutions to various challenges faced by ports and the shipping sector.