The Kankesanthurai harbour is to be developed as the third international harbour after Colombo and Ruhunu Magampura.

Ports and Highways Deputy Minister Rohitha Abeygunawardena told Daily News Business that they will sign an MoU with the Indian government in this regard today.

Goods to the Northern Province is currently being channelled via the A9 highway and with the opening of this proposed harbour, northerners will have access to sea freight and open up new vistas of opportunity to the area,” the Deputy Minister said.

Meanwhile, the United Kingdom Hydrographic Office is to prepare the ‘admiralty chart’ of the Mahinda Rajapaksa port in Hambantota.

Speaking to Daily News Business, Ruhunu Magampura Mahinda Rajapaksa Port Chief Engineer Agil Hewageegana said the Sri Lanka Ports Authority (SLPA) is expected to send all the details of the Mahinda Rajapaksa Port to United Kingdom Hydrographic office to prepare the admiralty chart. Admiralty charts are issued by the United Kingdom Hydrographic Office and the chart will include all details of the port particularly depth of port basin, length, breadth, height of the port, information about brake water, channels and natural features of the seabed, details of the coastline and surrounding area and other information. They hope to send these details by September.

Admiralty charts are also locally made by National Aquatic Resources Agency (NARA) and at first, we are planning to send all the information on the port to NARA to make the admiralty chart.

If the SLPA is satisfied with the admiralty chart prepared by NARA, they will be allowed to send the details to the United Kingdom Hydrographic Office to prepare the map.

After preparing the admiralty chart, all the details of the Mahinda Rajapaksa port will be published by the Hydrographic Office and this will immensely benefit people who are interested in obtaining more details about the port.
(DN-21072011)