Dhamra Port

Last updated

Dhamra Port
Port
Dhamra Port.jpg
India Odisha location map.svg
Red pog.svg
Dhamra Port
Location in Odisha, India
India location map.svg
Red pog.svg
Dhamra Port
Dhamra Port (India)
Coordinates: 20°49′24″N86°57′46″E / 20.82333°N 86.96278°E / 20.82333; 86.96278
CountryFlag of India.svg  India
State Odisha
District Bhadrak district
Government
 • BodyDhamra Port Company Limited (DPCL)
Area
 • Total9.441316 km2 (3.645312 sq mi)
Elevation
0 m (0 ft)
Languages
 • Official Odia
Time zone UTC+5:30 (IST)
Dhamra Port Company Limited
TypePrivate
Industry Marine
Headquarters2nd floor, Fortune Towers, Chandrasekharpur, Bhubaneswar- 751023
Key people
Mr. Santosh K. Mohapatra (chief executive officer), Capt Mirza Baig (harbour master)
Website Official website

The Dhamra Port is a port in Bhadrak district, Odisha, India, on the shore of the Bay of Bengal about seven kilometres from the old port of Dhamra. The agreement to develop the port was signed in April 1998. The Dhamra Port Company Limited (DPCL) was formed as a result of a 50:50 joint venture between Larsen & Toubro and TATA Steel to run the port. [1] The Port received its first vessel on 8 February 2010 and the first commercial vessel on 10 April 2011. [2] The Port has an initial capacity of 25 million tonnes annually, eventually growing to 80 million tonnes annually. [3] Greenpeace has opposed the project, claiming it threatens nearby protected areas and endangered species such as the olive ridley turtle [4]

Contents

Objectives

The port was taken over by Adani Port in June 2014. [5] Construction of a $12 billion steel plant by Posco of South Korea, and the new port of Dhamara, promise to bring jobs and development. The port will be used to export iron ore from a nearby mineral belt. [6] The Odisha government has plans to develop related industries near the new port, including a shipbuilding yard and a petrochemical and gas-based manufacturing hub. A special investment region has been proposed for Dhamara, and a zoning plan is being prepared to cover housing, health services and other urban infrastructure. [7] A new airport/Airstrip is approved by government of odisha near Dhamra port of around 500 acres. [8] National Waterway 5 project of connecting water channels between Pardeep and Dhamra is also in the construction stage by IWAI. A proposed 4 lane NH is also in DPR stage connecting to Dhamra port from Jamujhadi NH16. A tea processing unit is planned to have a unit in Dhamra port.

Construction

During the year 1997 Government of Odisha invited M/s International Seaports dredging Private Limited (ISDPL) to explore and evaluate the possibilities of expanding the minor port at Dhamra with modern contemporary facilities. After a site visit and preliminary discussions/evaluation, selected Dhamra port for further expansion. Based on a review of studies undertaken by the Government of Odisha and Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Chennai, as well as a preliminary field analysis ISDPL proposed a broad project approach. On this basis ISDPL and Government of Odisha entered into a memorandum of understanding on 31.03.97 for the expansion and development of the existing port of Dharma on Built Own Operate Share and Transfer (BOOST) basis. ISDPL signed the concession agreement with the Government of Odisha on 02.04.98. Thereby heralding a new era in the infrastructure development in the port sector of the country with private participation. The proposed Dhamra port is a minor port in the northern part of the state of Orissa situated about 62  km east of Bhadrak station on the Howrah-Chennai East coast mainline. Dhamra port is to be developed as a most modern all-weather, deep-water port, capable of handling all modern shipping efficiently and cost effectively on world standard norms. Development of a suitable road and rail system linking the port with the national network is also considered a vital and integral part of the project. ISDPL proposed that the railway line between Dhamra port and Bhadrak would be built on private siding terms, which is subsequently granted by Railway board. In the meantime, ISDPL had withdrawn its participation from this project due to difficulties in the acquisition of land required for the proposed rail links between Bhadrak and Renital stations and in the change in the composition of the companies investing in the project. This resulted in suspension of activities. In the year 2005, a joint venture company formed in the name of Dhamra Port company limited with 50-50 partnership of Larsen & Toubro Limited and Tata steels limited.

The planned port would have 13 berths with the capacity to handle 83 million tonnes annually. In the first phase, two 350 meter berths have been built to handle import of coking coal, steam coal, thermal coal and limestone, and export of iron ore and steel, with fully mechanized cargo handling. An 18 km navigational channel lets ships with an 18-meter draught use the port. Capacity in the first phase is 15.25 million tonnes of imported coal and limestone and 9.75 million tonnes of exported ore and steel. [9]

A 62 km single-track railway line links the port to Bhadrak/ Ranital, was opened on 8 May 2011. [10] It is the first line of the Indian Government's Railways Infrastructure for Industry Initiative, a revenue sharing model. [10] It is an arrangement between Indian Railways and Dhamara Port. [10]

In September 2010, the port received its first cargo vessel, an Australian ship bringing 45,000 tonnes of coking coal to supply Tata Steel's Jamshedpur plant. [11]

In March 2014, the port received biggest cargo vessel among the ports in India named Macau Mineral carrying 1,94,073 tonnes of coal from the Port of Richards Bay, South Africa. The Dhamra Port became first among the ports in India to berth a parcel size vessel of 2,07,785 DWT (dead weight tonnage). [12]

Environmental concerns

The coast of Odisha is periodically battered by cyclones, which cause tidal surges that may cause devastating floods. In the past, the coast was protected by a 5 km belt of mangroves, but the belt has shrunk due to developments such as dams on the rivers that supply fresh water to the trees. An unusually violent cyclone in 1999 created tidal surges 7 meters high that swept inland, killing 10,000 people and causing property damage that affected several million inhabitant of the coastal strip. There is a concern that the deepwater port will further damage the mangroves, including those at the nearby Bhitarkanika Mangroves conservation area. [6] In May 2010 a non-partisan group of 20 politicians began lobbying to halt construction, which they claimed was in violation of the Forest Conservation Act of 1980. [13]

The planned port is located just north of the Gahirmatha Marine Sanctuary, where from 200,000 to 500,000 female olive ridley turtles nest every year. Although the port site is not a nesting area, environmentalists are concerned that dredging and industrial pollution will disrupt the environment and the natural food chain. [14] In July 2007, Greenpeace activists staged a rally in front of Bombay House, headquarters of the TATA Group, demanding a halt to construction of the port which they claimed would harm the turtles. [15] The DPCL has rejected concerns about the impact. They state that all environmental clearances were obtained correctly, that the main breeding grounds for the turtles are well to the south, and that the shipping lanes will not cut across turtle migration routes. [16] TATA & Sons filed a suit against Greenpeace in the Delhi High Court, claiming a "Turtle vs TATA" game on their website constituted defamation and trademark infringement. [17]

The Cyclone Yaas made a landfall in Balasore, Odisha near the port, which resulted in severe destruction.

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Odisha</span> State in Eastern India

Odisha, formerly Orissa, is an Indian state located in Eastern India. It is the eighth-largest state by area, and the eleventh-largest by population, with over 41 million inhabitants. The state also has the third-largest population of Scheduled Tribes in India. It neighbours the states of Jharkhand and West Bengal to the north, Chhattisgarh to the west, and Andhra Pradesh to the south. Odisha has a coastline of 485 kilometres (301 mi) along the Bay of Bengal in Indian Ocean. The region is also known as Utkala and is mentioned by this name in India's national anthem, "Jana Gana Mana". The language of Odisha is Odia, which is one of the Classical Languages of India.

Tata Steel Limited is an Indian multinational steel-making company, based in Jamshedpur, Jharkhand and headquartered in Mumbai, Maharashtra. It is a part of the Tata Group.

Kalinganagar is a planned industrial and modern town in Jajpur district of coastal Odisha, India. It is rich in iron ore. Because of high global demand for steel, Kalinganagar is becoming a major global hub in steel, power and ancillary products. A large number of steel plants including projects by Jindal Steel and Tata Steel are in various stages of implementation.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chennai Port</span> Container port in India

Chennai Port, formerly known as Madras Port, is the second largest container port of India, behind Mumbai's Nhava Sheva. The port is the largest one in the Bay of Bengal. It is the third-oldest port among the 13 major ports of India with official port operations beginning in 1881, although maritime trade started much earlier in 1639 on the undeveloped shore. It is an artificial and all-weather port with wet docks. Once a major travel port, it became a major container port in the post-Independence era. An established port of trade of British India since the 1600s, the port remains a primary reason for the economic growth of Tamil Nadu, especially for the manufacturing boom in South India, and has contributed greatly to the development of the city of Chennai. It is due to the existence of the port that the city of Chennai eventually became known as the Gateway of South India.

Kamarajar Port Limited, formerly Ennore Port, is located on the Coromandel Coast, Chennai about 18 km north of Chennai Port. It is the 12th major port of India, and the first port in India which is a public company. The Kamarajar Port Limited is the only corporatised major port and is registered as a company. Chennai Port Trust acquired around 67% stake of Centre in the Kamarajar Port Limited on 27 March 2020. The remaining 23 percent was already held by the Chennai Port Trust.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Paradeep</span> City in Odisha, India

Paradeep, also spelled Paradip, is a major industrial seaport city and municipality, 53 km (33 mi) from Jagatsinghpur city, in Jagatsinghpur district of Odisha, India. Paradeep was constituted as an NAC on 27 September 1979 and converted into a municipality on 12 December 2002. The nearest commercial airport is Biju Patnaik International Airport.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bhadrak district</span> District of Odisha in India

Bhadrak is a district of Odisha state in eastern India. Bhadrak city is the headquarters and the largest city of the district.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Port Qasim</span> Deep-water seaport in Karachi, Pakistan

The Port Muhammad Bin Qasim, or Qasim Port Authority, also known as Port Qasim, is a deep-water seaport in Karachi, Sindh, Pakistan, on the coastline of the Arabian Sea under the administrative control of the Secretary to the Government of Pakistan for Maritime Affairs. It is Pakistan's second busiest port, handling about 35% of the nation's cargo. Port Qasim and Karachi Port, the busiest port of country, together handle more than 90% of all external trade of Pakistan.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Adani Ports & SEZ</span> Indian multinational port operator and logistics company

Adani Ports and Special Economic Zone Limited is an Indian multinational port operator and logistics company, based in Ahmedabad, India. APSEZ is India's largest private port operator with a network of 12 ports and terminals, including India's first deep water Transshipment Port Vizhinjam International Seaport Thiruvananthapuram and India's first port-based SEZ at Mundra.

Dhamra is a small community on the banks of the Dhamra River in the Bhadrak district of Odisha state, India. They were Shoodars before independence, as it's in history. Others believe they're descendants of Clan Loot. It developed as a port around the 15th century AD. The port was used for the coastal trade between northern Odisha and Kolkata to the northeast, and continued to be used to a small extent after independence in 1947. During April, 1998, an agreement was signed to develop the Port of Dhamara, about seven kilometers away on the coast of the Bay of Bengal, as a deep water port.

Subarnarekha port formerly known as Kirtania port is a deep-water, all-weather port proposed to be constructed at the mouth of Subarnarekha River in Balasore district in the Indian state of Odisha. The foundation stone for the port was laid in 2019.

Chandabali is an old town in the Bhadrak district of Odisha on the bank of the River Baitarani.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Paradip Port Authority</span> Port in India

Paradip Port is a natural, deep-water port on the East coast of India in Paradip, just 53 km (33 mi) from Jagatsinghpur city in Jagatsinghpur district of Odisha, India. It is at the confluence of the Mahanadi river and the Bay of Bengal, 210 nmi south of Kolkata and 260 nmi north of Visakhapatnam.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mundra Port</span> Container port in India

Mundra Port is India's first private port, largest container port and largest commercial port, located on the northern shores of the Gulf of Kutch near Mundra, Kutch district, Gujarat. Formerly operated by Mundra Port and Special Economic Zone Limited (MPSEZ) owned by Adani Group, it was later expanded into Adani Ports & SEZ Limited (APSEZ) managing several ports. In FY 2020–21, Mundra Port handled 144.4 million tonnes of cargo. The port currently handles over 155 MT, which constitutes nearly 11 per cent of India’s maritime cargo. The port also handles nearly 33 per cent of India’s container traffic.

Dhamara is a joint stream in Odisha that is formed by the confluence of the Brahmani and Baitarani rivers south of the town of Chandabali. It lies in the Bhadrak district and empties into the Bay of Bengal. To the north of its mouth is the Dhamra Port and near the mouth is the Gahiramatha sanctuary, a nesting site for olive ridley sea turtles.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tatanagar–Bilaspur section</span> Railway line in East India, connecting Tatanagar, Jharkhand, with Bilaspur, Chhattisgarh

The Tatanagar–Bilaspur section is part of the Howrah–Nagpur–Mumbai line and connects Tatanagar in the Indian state of Jharkhand and Bilaspur in Chhattisgarh. Part of one of the major trunk lines in the country, it passes through an industrial-mining area and handles high volumes of freight, particularly coal and iron ore.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kharagpur–Puri line</span> Railway route of India

The Kharagpur–Puri Line is a railway line connecting Kharagpur in the Indian state of West Bengal and Puri in Odisha. The total line can be divided into sections. The Kharagpur–Khurda Road portion of this line, which is a part of the Howrah–Chennai main line and Khurda Road - Puri portion.

Bhadrak railway station is a passenger railway station serves Bhadrak district in Indian state of Odisha. It is situated on the howrah chennai main railline. It comes under (NSG3) railway stations category of India.

Dhamra Airport is a proposed to be built by the Dhamra Port Company Limited, 20 km from Dhamra Port in the Bhadrak district of Odisha, India.

Dhamara Fishing Harbour is an international standard Harbour and it has become the first harbour certified by Export Inspection Agency (EIA) in the state following approval of the Export Inspection Council (EIC), India and meets the Euro standard fish food as specified by European Union.

References

  1. ↑ "Dhamra port". DHAMRA PORT COMPANY LTD. Archived from the original on 25 November 2010. Retrieved 23 November 2010.
  2. ↑ "Dhamra Port Updates". Dharma Port Company Limited. Retrieved 6 September 2011.
  3. ↑ "Dhamra Port on schedule". The Hindu . 27 May 2008. Archived from the original on 29 May 2008. Retrieved 23 November 2010.
  4. ↑ "TATA tries to silence critics, takes Greenpeace to court". Greenpeace. Archived from the original on 1 August 2013. Retrieved 23 November 2010.
  5. ↑ "TMX". www.facebook.com. Retrieved 4 June 2020.
  6. 1 2 Manipadma Jena (21 June 2010). "India: Development projects increasing cyclone vulnerability, experts warn". ReliefWeb. Retrieved 24 November 2010.
  7. ↑ "Panel for port-based industries at Dhamara". Business Standard. 31 May 2010. Retrieved 24 November 2010.
  8. ↑ "Odisha govt OKs land acquisition for Dhamra Port airstrip". The Times of India. 1 January 2020. Retrieved 4 June 2020.
  9. ↑ "Plan". Upakula Surakshya Abhijan. Archived from the original on 5 May 2012. Retrieved 24 November 2010.
  10. 1 2 3 "Revenue share port line opens". Railway Gazette. 7 June 2011.
  11. ↑ "First vessel lands at Dhamara port". Business Standard. 20 September 2010. Retrieved 24 November 2010.
  12. ↑ "Dhamra Port berths biggest parcel size vessel". Economic Times. Retrieved 4 April 2014.
  13. ↑ "Green lobby seeks action against Dhamra port". Business Standard. 18 May 2010. Retrieved 24 November 2010.
  14. ↑ "Tata Port Development Threatens Olive Ridley Sea Turtles (Odisha, India)". Mangrove Action. 29 June 2007. Archived from the original on 27 December 2010. Retrieved 24 November 2010.
  15. ↑ "Greenpeace activists blockade TATA office, demand the Company keeps promise to save turtles". Greenpeace India. 17 July 2007. Retrieved 24 November 2010.
  16. ↑ "Perceptions & Facts". Upakula Surakshya Abhijan. Retrieved 24 November 2010.
  17. ↑ "TATA plea for injunction against Greenpeace listed for consideration on 12 August". Greenpeace. 30 July 2010. Archived from the original on 24 November 2010. Retrieved 24 November 2010.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.