Visakhapatnam Port Unveils ₹19-Crore Waterfront Promenade

Union Minister for Ports, Shipping and Waterways Sarbananda Sonowal on Thursday inaugurated a 710-metre waterfront promenade at Visakhapatnam Port and laid foundation stones for four infrastructure projects.

Developed at a cost of ₹19 crore over 5.5 acres of existing port land, the promenade features a waterfront walkway, two viewing decks, a park, public plaza, children’s play area, food court and parking facilities. Located near the cruise terminal, the facility was developed without affecting cargo operations, Visakhapatnam Port Authority (VPA) officials said.

Addressing the gathering, Sonowal said Visakhapatnam had the potential to emerge as a major economic and maritime hub. Indian ports had made significant progress in operational efficiency, cargo turnaround time, technology adoption and modernisation over the past 12 years, he said.

The four projects include three contracts for the operation and maintenance of existing cargo terminals covering WQ-1 and WQ-1RE, WQ-2 and WQ-3, and EQ-3 berths. The fourth involves increasing the port’s sewage treatment capacity from 10 million litres per day to 15 million litres, at an estimated cost of ₹11 crore.

Sonowal said the port handled a record 91.17 million metric tonnes of cargo in 2025-26, registering around 10 per cent growth for the fourth consecutive year. Cargo handling between April 1 and October 31 increased by 8.88 per cent over the corresponding period last year. He urged employees to surpass the previous year’s growth.

Earlier, Visakhapatnam MP M. Sribharat suggested setting up a restaurant along the bay to promote local seafood and attract cruise passengers as well as residents.

VPA Chairman Jasmeet Singh Bindra, Deputy Chairperson K. Roshni Aparanji, Rajya Sabha MP Golla Babu Rao, Visakhapatnam South MLA Vamsi Krishna Srinivas and BJP MLA P. Vishnu Kumar Raju attended the programme.