International nod for Magampura port - Dy Minister

Dharma SRI ABEYRATNE

Ports and Highways Deputy Minister Rohitha Abeygoonewardena yesterday said that the international maritime agencies have assured that the Magampura Mahinda Rajapaksa port is a safer port for operations.

He said the port has obtained the International Ship Security Certification (ISPS) and UN locator code which guarantees that it is a safer and eligible port for operation.

The deputy minister added that the Ruhunu Magampura Mahinda Rajapaksa port has been listed in the international shipping routes and the first container vessel called at the port on April 28, this year.

This vessel carrying over 2,800 containers first stopped over at Magampura Mahinda Rajapaksa port on its way to Colombo from Malaysia. The vessels - Sky Apolo having a length of 210 metres from Madurai, India and OEL Dubai having a length of 150 metres, from the port of Kochin - arrived for familiarization of vessel manoeuvring at port. These vessels reached the port respectively on April 30 and May 1, the Minister added.

Minister Abeygoonawardena added that several more vessels of different capacities and draughts belonging to reputed international shipping lines are due to arrive at the port to enabling Harbour Pilots to familiarize themselves, the Deputy Minister added.

"These ships docked at the port rejecting the malicious views that major ships cannot call at the port due to a large rock submerged at the harbour mouth" Abeygoonewardena noted.

As the infrastructure and other facilities being constructed at the port for efficient operations are nearing completion rapidly fulfilling a long felt need of having another international harbour for the country.

According to Ports Authority statistics, several International cargo shipping lines route their shipping network through this new harbour including two main shipping lines. Accordingly, two fertilizer transporting ships docked at the harbour in December, last year. The first ship from China called over on December 18 transporting 7,500 tons of fertilizer.

The ship was stationed at the port for three days. The second ship, from South East Asia reached the harbour on December 23 and docked for four days.

The fertilizer transported by these two ships were distributed in the Southern, Uva and Central provinces.

Meanwhile, an international shipping line which has ships with floating libraries and book sales stalls has also sought permission to dock at the Rajapaksa Port for one week.

The ship is presently at the Colombo port and is scheduled to call at the Galle port.

After receiving the permission the ship is scheduled to called at the Magampura Mahinda Rajapaksa harbour.