Jurong Port keen to set up terminals in Orissa

NEW DELHI: In an attempt to make headway into India’s shipping industry, the Singapore Government-controlled Jurong Port has evinced interest in setting up port terminals in Orissa and may soon approach the Paradip Port Trust with its proposal.

Singapore’s Jurong Port is keen to set up port terminals in Orissa and may approach the Paradip Port Trust, the State Government of Orissa and also the non-major ports for the same, a Shipping Ministry official told PTI.

The Shipping Minister, Mr G.K. Vasan, during his visit to Singapore last month, had said that India and Singapore have tremendous scope for partnership in this sector, including collaboration in areas like port development, cruise shipping, bunkering and ship building, ship repair and others.

India is looking at investing about $20.8 billion in 276 projects, which are part of the Government’s endeavour to expand 13 major ports in the country.

Jurong Port is Singapore’s only international multi-purpose port operator, the port’s general cargo terminal and bulk cargo terminal are the hubs for steel products, metals, mechanical appliances and machinery, cement, copper slag, sugar and project carg o, among others.

As many as 22 projects are ready for bids as the country is pressing on increasing the port capacity, mostly through public and private sector participation (PPP). Currently, 22 PPP projects are under bidding process and scheduled to be awarded in the cu rrent financial year involving an investment of almost Rs 16,000 crore.

India has completed 24 PPP projects involving an investment of almost Rs 650 crore while 19 PPP projects are under implementation, involving an investment of almost Rs 1,250 crore. — PTI

sourced from  the hindu businessline.

satellite image of paradip

Health team at port town

Health team at port town

MANOJ KAR

Species of female anopheles mosquito which acts as malaria vector. Telegraph picture Paradip, Oct. 6: Clogged drains have turned into ideal breeding grounds for mosquitoes resulting in an outbreak of vector-borne diseases across the port town. Cases of malaria apart from diseases like dengue and chikungunya are on a steady rise here. A team of epidemiologists from the state health department found visible presence of the disease-carrying mosquitoes in the port town. “Stagnant water in open drains and sewerage points continues to be the major cause of health hazard. We collected larvae samples from stagnant waterbodies for laboratory test. There is wide presence of vector-borne mosquitoes like culex, aedes and anopheles in the urban areas. While the situation is bad in civil township, things are worse in slums and unplanned settlements on the outskirts of port town,” said chief of the medical team V.N.V Rao. “Many storm water drains are choked with polythene wastes. Moreover, worn-out tyres dumped by automobile shops are breeding mosquitoes,” he said. “On basis of findings of the larvae test reports, we are going to submit a report to the state health directorate,” Rao said. “The dual administration of the Paradip Port Trust (PPT) and the municipality has led to the disintegration of sanitation measures here. The port trust deals with larger storm water drains while cleaning up of the rest of drains lies with the civic body,” said former administrator of Paradip municipality Balabhadra Patri. “Civic authorities would visit the waterlogged areas for smooth discharge of stagnant water,” said vice-chairman of Paradip Municipality Basant Kumar Biswal. “Cases of malaria are on the rise here. On an average, about 300 inpatients are tested positive every month. Moreover, cases of vector-borne diseases are reported from Paradipgada where crews of goods loaded trucks throng,” said chief medical officer of the Biju Memorial Hospital Dilip Kumar Biswal. “Our hospital is not equipped to diagnose cases of dengue and chikungunya,” he said. It has been often found that migrant labourers apart from truck drivers are carriers of vector-borne diseases. “The migrant workers get infected in their workplaces and carry home the virus. Paradip, being a growing industrial hub, often encounters the mosquito-borne diseases due to the presence of itinerant population,” said Dipti Prakash Pattnaik, a local resident. (Sourced from Telegraph  )

Combine mock drill 'Haamla' along paradip coast

Coastal clean up day by coast guard

Jagatsighpur collector  cleaning  biju maidan
beach of paradip

1. 

Industrial units of Paradip under scan

Port units in line of fire

MANOJ KAR

Paradip, Sept 30: The Jagatsinghpur district administration has sought assistance of the National Institute of Oceanography (NIO) finding out the impact of dredging activities by a public sector oil refinery project. Four industrial units in and around Paradip came under the line of fire for alleged violation of environmental norms at the Rehabilitation and Peripheral Development Advisory Committee (RPDAC) review meeting held yesterday. Members of the committee from gram panchayats, which come under the project areas, expressed anger at the erosion in villages caused by dredging. They passed a proposal for assessment of the impact of dredging works. The RPDAC resolved to constitute a task force to oversee proper implementation of peripheral activities by the units — Essar steel project, IFFCO fertiliser plant, Deepak Fertilizer and Indian Oil Corporation’s oil refinery project. “Dredging by the oil refinery near Paradip has led to erosion in seaside villages. Moreover, the artificially created brackish water pond by the refinery project has resulted in increased salinity level of ground water and iron contents in drinking water from deep-dug tube wells,” Jagatsinghpur MP Bibhu Prasad Tarai said. “It was decided to seek the services of the NIO to ascertain whether the Indian Oil Company Limited’s oil refinery was responsible for erosion,” said Jagatsinghpur collector Narayan Chandra Jena. Agriculture minister Damodar Rout, Jagatsinghpur MLA Bishnu Charan Das, Erasama-Balikuda MLA Prasanta Muduli, representatives of zilla parishad and members of panchayati raj institutions attended the meeting chaired by revenue divisional commissioner (central) Pradipta Mohapatra. (Sourced from Telegraph)