Mangaluru: New Mangalore Port Trust (NMPT) chairman P.C. Parida on Monday said that the port should become a Green Port by next year after it gets entire energy requirement through non-conventional sources.

He was speaking after hoisting the tricolour and inspecting the guard of honour by the Port CISF unit, fire services and students on the occasion of 70th Independence Day celebrations here. Mr. Parida said the port had taken steps to harness solar energy by installing a 1.1 MW roof-top solar plant and a 4 MW solar plant in the port colony that would meet 60 per cent power requirements of the port by December 2016.

Mr. Parida said that the steps taken by the Union government and the port for improving the maritime infrastructure should give a fillip to the Exim trade.

Under Sagarmala Project of the Union government, the long awaited deep draft major port with modern infrastructure in Uttara Kannada was in progress. The Kulai Fisheries Harbour under Sagaramala would be a gift to the fishermen of Dakshina Kannada, he said.

Mr. Parida said the mechanisation of cargo handling and container handling facilities at the port should bring investment of Rs. 750 crore on public-private partnership mode Under the ease of doing business programme of the Prime Minister, the port health office, and testing laboratory had been commissioned and it would reduce the transaction cost and time.

He said the port had illuminated NH 66 between KIOCL to Baikampady rail overbridge and developed a park for the general public on the bank of the Gurupur with parking facility.