Kushagra Tiwari, Gandhinagar: The Gujarat Maritime Board (GMB) has prepared an ambitious plan to develop a large and integrated ‘Port City’ at Maroli (near Vapi) in Valsad, with the aim of taking the state’s coastal development to new heights.

World-class infrastructure and mega port

The proposed Port City project is proposed to be developed over an area of more than 350 square kilometres at Maroli, which is strategically located to serve as an international deep-draft port with adjacent urban, industrial, and logistics development zones. The site offers natural advantages for deep-water berthing, multimodal connectivity, and land availability for planned expansion.

GMB aims to establish a globally competitive ‘mega port’ with a cargo-handling capacity of more than 500 MMTPA. The city will include state-of-the-art industrial units, logistics hubs, residential areas, and commercial complexes.

According to GMB, the main objective of this project is to boost regional economic growth and create new employment opportunities on a large scale.

Process for appointment of experts begins

The Gujarat Maritime Board has invited bids from experienced consultancy firms to prepare a Detailed Project Report (DPR) and detailed engineering design for the project. The selected consultancy firm will provide technical support for the planning, design, and implementation of the project for the next 206 weeks, or nearly four years.

The DPR assignment will cover:

Port-side Development: Breakwaters, common berths, and marine structures as per TOR, reclamation, dredging, utilities, etc.

Connectivity Infrastructure: Detailed engineering design of internal roads and layouts of rail and road corridors linking the port with national networks.

Common Facilities: Power, water, drainage, communication systems, and environmental infrastructure supporting port operations and port-side development.

Special emphasis on connectivity

A rail and road corridor has also been planned to connect the port city with the national network, which will make the movement of goods fast and seamless. This project will also include green belts and renewable energy sources for environmental protection.

Through this project, Gujarat is once again set to strengthen its hold in the maritime sector and emerge as a leader on the global trade map. DeshGujarat