Odisha to invite bids for riverine port by April

The Odisha government intends to invite bids for the first riverine port in the state by April. The port is likely to come up at the Mahanadi river mouth near Paradeep close to the operational facilities of Essar Steel Odisha Ltd and Indian Farmers Fertilisers Cooperative Ltd (Iffco).

The riverine port is being taken up with assistance from the Planning Commission. A team of the Planning Commission is scheduled to visit the selected port site next week.

The riverine port in the state is modeled on a similar port built on the Tapti river mouth in Gujarat.

The state government had identified 14 locations for development of non-major port projects. Of these locations, a deep sea port planned at Barunei Muhan in Kendrapara district has been shelved owing to threat to mass nesting site of Olive Ridley turtles.