Q. Consider the following statements with reference to the International Container Transhipment Port (ICTP) Project:
1.It is a Transhipment port project being built at Galathea Bay in Great Nicobar Island.
2.It is expected to handle more containers than all the ports of India combined.
3.It aims to reduce India’s dependency on foreign ports for transshipment cargo handling.
4.The project is being developed under the Public-Private-Partnership (PPP) model.
How many of the statements given above are correct?
xplanation –
Statements 1 and 3 are correct. International Container Transhipment Port (ICTP) Project is being built at Galathea Bay in Great Nicobar Island. It is being developed by the Syama Prasad Mookerjee Port Trust (SMPK). One of the primary objectives of the ICTP project is to reduce India’s dependence on foreign ports for transhipment cargo handling. Currently, a significant portion of India’s transhipment cargo is handled at ports in Singapore, Colombo, and Klang. The ICTP aims to capture this cargo and keep it within India. The project is Envisaged under Maritime India vision 2030.
Statements 2 and 4 are incorrect. While the ICTP is expected to be a major transhipment hub, it is unlikely to handle more containers than all the ports of India combined. The ICTP project is expected to handle around 16 million containers per year in its ultimate phase, which is still less than the total container handling capacity of all Indian ports combined. The ICTP project is being developed under the Landlord-Port Model, which means that the government will develop and maintain the port infrastructure, while private companies will operate the port facilities. Private companies will be allowed to bid for concessions to develop and operate specific terminals within the port.
Source: ForumIAS
