Oluvil Port Project on fast track

First phase to be complete by September :

The Oluvil Port Project commenced in July 2008 to give impetus to economic development in the Eastern region.

It has recorded a rapid progress in construction during the recent past. It hopes to open the port for vessel and fisheries operations in the near future.

It is expected to complete the first phase of the project by September this year.

The Port funded by the Denmark Foreign Affairs Ministry (DANIDA) will be constructed with a total project cost of Euro 46,095,369.49 at stage one.

The loan agreement for the Oluvil Port Project was signed earlier between Nordea Bank, Denmark and Sri Lanka Finance and Planning Ministry in May 2008.

The acquisition and purchasing of lands for the project is completed while compensation payments to more than 800 beneficiaries have already been made.

Under the Nagenahira Navodaya Program which was launched to expedite the development activities in the eastern region, higher priority was given for the Oluvil Development Project which would undoubtedly be a catalyst of economic infrastructure development for the growth of the Eastern Region of Sri Lanka.

Oluvil port that forms the southeastern link in the developing chain of coastal harbours in the country is expected to provide more convenient and cost effective access to and from the southeastern region for goods and cargo originating on the west coast.

The project also comprises the construction of a Commercial harbour and a basin for the fishing crafts that covers a land area of 60ha in the first stage and 105ha in the second stage.

The harbour basin would cover an area of 16ha of the sea and would spread 1.2km along the coast line.

The main construction components of the project is to develop a commercial harbour with appropriate shore facilities to cater to general cargo vessels required to supply the current needs of the region, including coastal passenger transport, with provision for expansion into a bigger harbour in the future.

The fishery harbour will cater to the requirements of the current and projected fishing activities and its shore-based services and industries.

Currently the permanent building constructions in the commercial and fishery harbour areas, the internal and access road constructions are in progress while sheet piling and quay wall construction at the fishery harbour have been completed and yard filling is in progress.

Meanwhile, the sheet piling, quay wall construction, land development work and yard filling in the commercial harbour area of the Oluvil Port have also made rapid progress.

Land and marine dredging work of fishery and commercial harbours, construction of southern and northern breakwaters and internal groin and beach nourishment in the northern side are also in progress.

A total quantity of 912,860 tons stones has been transported to the Oluvil Project site while 80 percent of the construction work of the ice plant at the fishery harbour has also been completed up to now. To minimize the employment problem in the region it is expected to create 1000 direct and indirect employment following the completion of the current stages of the project and another 10,000 employment opportunities by 2015.

Cement, fertilizer and sugar industries will be introduced to the region via the new port while the fisheries industry will also be elevated.

Meanwhile it is also expected to elevate the conventional cargo operations at the new port extending to facilitate a higher market to a number of regional industries.

With the initiative and guidance of President Mahinda Rajapaksa and according to the instructions of Sri Lanka Ports Authority (SLPA) Chairman Dr. Priyath B. Wickrama, the Oluvil Project is currently taken ahead under the supervision of SLPA Project Director/Chief Engineer (Contracts and Designs) of SLPA D.G.I.C. Lokuhewage and Deputy Chief Engineer (C&D) M.S.S. Devapriya.