Under its Sagarmala Programme, the Ministry of Ports, shipping, and waterways has provided in-principle approval to four floating jetty projects in Karnataka while also giving in-principle approval to another four floating jetty projects in Tamil Nadu.

With these four additional projects in Karnataka, there is a total of 11 floating jetty projects in the state. These projects are located primarily on Gurupura River and Netravati River and shall be used for tourism purposes. The other locations are Thannir Bhavi Church, Bangra Kuluru, Kulur Bridge and Jappina Mogaru NH bridge, according to a statement released by the ministry on Thursday. Additionally, the ministry has provided in-principle approval to four floating jetty projects in Tamil Nadu. The projects at Agni Thertham and Villoondi Theertham are located in Rameshwaram which is a renowned spiritual place in India. Additionally, the projects are located at Cuddalore and Kanyakumari and cater to tourists at these distinguished tourist destinations.

According to the statement, these projects will assist in offering safer, hassle-free transportation to tourists and will lead to the overall development and the upliftment of the coastal community.

Union Minister of Ports, Shipping and Waterways Sarbananda Sonowal said, “Our Hon’ble PM (Prime Minister Narendra Modi) lays high emphasis on providing strong connectivity, which is essential for building a developed India, the installation of these jetties will be a big push for socio-economic development of these regions in Karnataka and Tamil Nadu and create new avenues for water-related tourism and regional trade with more employment opportunities to the local population.”

The Ministry, under its Sagarmala Programme, has pushed a number of reforms and initiatives in the maritime industry to strengthen the country’s socio-economic and regulatory environment, according to the statement.

One of the key initiatives of the ministry is to promote and develop a unique and innovative concept of floating jetties ecosystem which when compared to traditional fixed jetties, offers a number of advantages, such as being environment-friendly, having a longer shelf life and modular construction, the ministry said in the statement.