Navayuga Engineering begins Development of Machilipatnam Port

Navayuga Engineering Company Limited (NECL) the flagship entity of the Rs 25,000-crore Navayuga Group and a dominant player in the engineering and core infrastructure space announced that it has formally begun the development of Machilipatnam Port, one of the most long-awaited deep sea ports on the east coast of the country.

Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu Friday laid the foundation stone for the green-field, all-weather multi-purpose port. Machilipatnam is one of the mega ports and an ambitious project planned under the Sagarmala program. The deep water sea port, centrally located on the coast of Bay of Bengal in the Krishna district of Andhra Pradesh is a grand project that is well poised to kick-start the local economy thereby uplifting the social eco-system of the area. Port based SEZs, power plants, industries, ancillary units etc. are also planned in the ports vicinity.

Spread across 4800 acres, the first phase is expected to be complete and operational in record time of 18 months. With four berths to be operational after the first phase of construction, Machilipatnam will have 40 million tonnes in the first phase when complete 150 million tonnes. The port will handle multiple cargo's like container, bulk, dry bulk, liquid bulk, general cargo and project cargo. The project is expected to generate employment opportunities entailing 80,000 direct jobs and indirect jobs.

On the occasion, Chinta Sridhar, Managing Director, Navayuga Engineering Company Limited said, "Having successfully undertaken several port development projects, we are poised to achieve the distinction of being the largest developer and operator of ports in India. We aim to develop the port in a record time of 18 months Given Machilipatnam's access to prominent international waterways, the project will be a significant catalyst in positioning India strategically as a global international trading hub. The port will herald a new era of economic activity and dramatically transform the lifestyle of the localities by generating umpteen business and employment opportunities."

Strategically located, Machilipatnam will be the gateway for most international trading activities of central India. It will not only cater to Andhra Pradesh and Telendana but also extend the logistics benefits to Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Chattisgarh and Karnataka. It is well connected with roads & rail connectivity with the national grid. The port enjoys shortest distance connectivity with Inland Container Depots (ICDs) as compared to any other port on the east coast of India.

Besides the strategic location, the advantage of an extensive backup area for container stacking will make Machilipatnam one of the most preferred container ports on the east coast of India.

Navayuga Engineering Company Limited, bagged the project to develop the port on Build-Own-Operate-Transfer basis for a period of 50-year. Subsoil at the site of the port consists of very soft marine clay for nearly 18 metres. Navayuga has developed the design of a structural breakwater, which is a first in the world. The layout of the breakwaters and berths have been made to obtain absolute tranquillity in the port waters.

The laying of stone foundation was attended by several MLAs and MLCs from the state.

Machilipatnam was a flourishing port town during ancient time. During the 17th century, the port was a trade centre for French, British and Dutch. The port which was operational till 1980s will soon witness the lost glory returning back once it is rebuilt with modern facilities.

Navayuga Engineering Company has developed several ports and related infrastructure one of which is India's second largest private port - Krishnapatnam Port, with the largest waterfront of 12.5 km in the country, the deepest draft of 18 m and the capability of handling capesize vessels up to 2,00,000 dwt (dead weight tonnage), the all-weather port operates 365 days a year.