Gopalpur port set to restart operation by October.

Battered by two back to back cyclonic storms, the Gopalpur port in south Odisha, is hopeful of resuming commercial operations in October this year.

The port was struck by very severe cyclonic storm Phailin in October 2013, wreaking damages to its facilities to the tune of Rs 250 crore. Efforts to revive operation were thwarted by another cyclonic storm Hud Hud exactly a year after Phailin. Some portion of the breakwater at the port was damaged due to the lash of high tidal wave under the influence of Hudhud on October 12 last year.

'We had a meeting with Gopalpur port authorities. They have assured us that the port would restart normal operations from October,' said state commerce & transport minister Ramesh Majhi.

Gopalpur port, near Arjeepalli off the south Odisha coast, is promoted by Gopalpur Port Limited (GPL). Presently, GPL has two promoters, Orissa Stevedores Ltd (OSL) and Sara International Ltd (SIL) after Hong Kong based Noble Group exited the consortium. The state government had selected GPL to develop the Gopalpur port into an all-weather port in 2008 on BOOST (build, own, operate, share and transfer) basis at a cost of Rs 1,200 crore. The project cost has been revised to Rs 1,411 crore. The seasonal port was made an all-weather port in May 2013. The last vessel had anchored at the port on October 7, 2013. GPL has constructed a multi-purpose berth with a capacity of 3.50 mtpa of cargo handling.

BS