Dredging harbour at Antarvedi

The MoU between the Government of Andhra Pradesh and the Dredging Corporation of India (DCI) at the maritime meet in Mumbai on Thursday to set up a dredging harbour at Antarvedi in East Godavari is expected to improve connectivity between East and West Godavari districts and generate of more 



jobs in the days to come. The Rs.1,800-crore dredging harbour-cum-training centre is also expected to take care of the maintenance of the dredgers at work in the ports being maintained by the government and private companies. This harbour can also become a centre to facilitate dredgers from the entire South Asia. A team of DCI officials, which was on the job of selecting a suitable place for the project, visited Antarvedi in September last and evinced interest in establishing the harbour there.

The district administration also reacted positively and finished the formalities of allotting 200 acres of land for the prestigious project. Subsequently, Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu announced the project from the dais of the foundation stone-laying ceremony of the capital city, Amaravati. “In the first phase, East Godavari district will get quality road network, as the DCI needs good connectivity from Eethaakota to Antarvedi to move its equipment to the project site. Similarly, there is a possibility of the local youth getting employment in the project,” says Collector H. Arun Kumar.

The elected representatives from the district are in favour of bringing the 60-km stretch under the ambit of the NH 216. “For this, we can take the help of the National Highways Authority of India,” says P. Ravindra Babu, Amalapuram MP. People of West Godavari district are hopeful of completion of the long-pending road-cum-rail bridge project across the Vasishta Godavari connecting Sakhinetipalle in East Godavari district and Narasapuram in West Godavari district, as the project will be more beneficial to the DCI. “The present MoU is the first step towards the road-cum-rail bridge project. The bridge will improve connectivity between the two Godavari districts and reduce transportation cost,” says Bandaru Mahdava Naidu, MLA from Narasapuram in West Godavari district.

:: Source  ( The Hindu)