R’patnam Port can fuel industrial growth in Prakasam, Nellore dists
Ongole: The Ramayapatnam Port, three quarters of which has been completed till date, will, upon its completion, boost industrial growth in Prakasam and Nellore districts and become a cost-effective alternative to Visakhapatnam and Chennai.
The first phase is scheduled for completion by December 2026, while the authorities are focusing on developing infrastructure connecting the port to the national highway and railway line.
Ramayapatnam Port is a Greenfield deep-sea facility being constructed on 2,000 acres, with a budget of Rs 4,922 crore, near Chevuru in Gudluru mandal. It is designed to handle 138 million tonnes annually. The project is being developed under the aegis of the Andhra Pradesh Maritime Board and is being constructed by a joint venture of Navayuga Engineering Company and Aurobindo Realty and Infrastructure.
The port construction is divided into two phases. Phase I involves the construction of four multipurpose berths and the provision of infrastructure to enable port operations, while Phase II involves the construction of 19 berths, as needed.
About 802 acres of land were acquired from the villagers in Gudluru mandal, including Mondivaripalem, Avulavaripalem, Karlapalem, Ravulapalem, Ravuru, and Chevuru. The government had fixed compensation at Rs 10 lakh per acre for farmland, and Rs 15 lakh per acre for aquaculture land.
The Relocation and Rehabilitation package for about a thousand families, estimated at Rs 192 crore, included Rs 6.50 lakh in cash, Rs 3 lakh in construction aid, a 5-cent housing site, and priority in local job opportunities, among other benefits. The construction of Phase I began in July 2022 with dredging, breakwater construction, and reclamation of a 16-meter-deep-draft access. It was estimated to be completed in three years, but elections and financial issues briefly halted construction works.
Following Chief Minister Nara Chandrababu Naidu’s regular reviews, assurances, and sanction of funds from time to time, the construction of the port made progress of 67.11 per cent by June 2025, and 75.8 per cent by November 2025. The recent decision of the state government to rejoin the Kandukur Assembly constituency, which includes Ramayapatnam Port, raised hopes among the people of Prakasam about prospects of further development.
Andhra Pradesh Maritime Board Chairman Damacharla Sathya said they have completed construction of two berths, the north and south breakwaters, and 90 per cent of the 4-lane road connecting the port to the Kolkata-Chennai National Highway 16, and 20 per cent of the railway line. He said the infrastructure will be completed very soon, as they plan to acquire the required land in three months.
Sathya said that, following the request of fishermen from Mondivaripalem and Avulavaripalem, the Chief Minister agreed to construct a jetty. Tenders are being called for it. He said that the jetty will be nearer to the rehabilitation colony near Murthimpeta, which will be very useful for the fishermen. The Maritime Board chief said that they are determined to complete the first phase by December 2026. He said that the existing granite and aqua industries, as well as tobacco and subabul farmers, would benefit from the Ramayapatnam Port. At the same time, other projects and units already announced, such as Indosol, BPCL Refinery, a logistics park, and prefabricated construction companies, would help drive industrial growth in the Prakasam and Nellore districts.
