New private port on India’s East Coast to open

New private port on India’s East Coast to open    What is envisioned as India’s largest privately owned port is due to open this week on the country’s East Coast, about 120 miles north of Chennai.
   The Port of Krishnapatnam will begin operations with the opening of four berths, one of which will be dedicated to containers. By 2020, port officials see 40 berths in operation, the Economic Times reported.
   The port will primarily cater to industrial traffic, including iron ore and granite sent abroad. It is also expected to draw industrial commodity imports used to feed a new coking coal thermal power plant being developed by Reliance Industries. Agricultural exports are also projected to grow.
   Situated on the coast of the state of Andhra Pradesh, the port has deep draft relative to most Indian ports (15 meters). But silting is a major problem facing all the ports on the India’s east coast, so draft maintenance will be ongoing.