By Sunitha Sekar

Copyright thehindu

From coastal protection works at Chennai Port to upgrading firefighting facilities at Kamarajar Port, Prime Minister Narendra Modi laid foundation stone for three crucial port projects in Tamil Nadu from Bhavnagar, Gujarat.

At a cost of ₹33 crore, as part of coastal protection work, the existing revetment behind the coastal berth is going to be repaired and strengthened for a length of 850 metres at Chennai Port.

According to officials of Chennai Port Authority, this revetment is along the eastern side of the Chennai Port, directly facing the Bay of Bengal. During cyclones or adverse weather conditions, having such a wall will protect the harbour of the port. This revetment is created with tetra pods and a concrete structure to withstand the pressure of the waves coming from the Bay of Bengal. But it continues to face storm surge and wave-induced damage due to exposure to the open sea.

After the city witnessed cyclones in recent years, the authorities made a decision to protect the harbour and prepare for any such events. IIT-Madras did a study and suggested that retrofitting the 850m revetment with concrete capping, crest wall, and tetrapod armour was essential. This work will ensure long term stability of the port infrastructure and avoid damage due to erosion and storm surges, an official said.

Now that the foundation stone has been laid, the work will start within a few weeks, and it will be completed in a year. It will also reduce the risk of disruptions to port operations and enhance safety.

Two other projects for Kamarajar Port for which the foundation stone was laid include upgrading firefighting facilities and development of a concrete road from the National Coastline Transit Processing System (NCTPS) road to the KPL coal stack yard and reconstruction of two existing bridges.

While there are already firefighting facilities at Kamarajar Port, the authorities have identified eight more locations which have potential fire threats but do not have these facilities yet. For instance, it is not there in the car parking yard and container parking yard; it will be developed in eight such locations as part of the project. The work will be carried out at a cost of ₹25 crore and completed in a year.

The development of a concrete road from the NCTPS road to the KPL coal stack yard and the reconstruction of the bridges are critical to enhancing connectivity for the Kamarajar Port. It will improve the safety of heavy vehicles that transport coal and also increase the efficiency of coal handling operations. The estimated cost of this project is 58 crore, and by 2027, the work will be completed.

Speaking to The Hindu, Sunil Paliwal, chairman of Chennai Port Authority (ChPA) and CMD of Kamarajar Port Ltd, said, “We are laying stress on the efficiency and safety of operations, and hence we wanted to upgrade the firefighting facilities at Kamarajar Port. As far as the strengthening of existing revetment behind coastal berth at Chennai Port is concerned, Bay of Bengal is prone to cyclones, hence this work will help us be prepared to face any situation and protect the harbour.”