Set up dry port in Tiruchi to give a push for exports, Durai Vaiko urges Centre

Tiruchi Member of Parliament Durai Vaiko has urged the Centre to take steps to establish an inland container depot in Tiruchi to meet a long felt need of the trade and industry of the region.

Mr. Durai Vaiko called on Minister of Ports, Shipping and Waterways Sarbananda Sonowal in New Delhi on Monday to press the demand. In a representation submitted to the Minister, Mr. Durai Vaiko said that Tiruchi was one of the important trade and industrial regions in Tamil Nadu and served as an “export hub” for a wide range of goods, including engineering equipment, spare parts, fabricated materials, food products, millets, and perishables such as vegetables and fruits.

According to the national horticultural database (2023-2024), released by the National Horticulture Board, Tiruchi, produced 112.62 million tonnes of fruits and 204.96 million tonnes of vegetables. Agricultural produce are exported to countries such as Singapore, Malaysia, Sri Lanka, Qatar, and the United Arab Emirates through the Tiruchi International Airport while value-added agricultural and engineering goods are transported to distant sea ports in Chennai, Thoothukudi, and Kochi.

It is estimated that about 40 to 50 containers, with a capacity of 25 tonnes each, are transported by road every month from Tiruchi to these sea ports. Industrialists and exporters from the region face high transport and handling costs, along with time-consuming formalities at the ports. If a dry port is established in Tiruchi, exporters could complete the require documentation and other procedure locally, significantly reducing cost and time, he contended.

Trade bodies, Mr. Durai Vaiko pointed out, had repeatedly stressed that the export volume from Tiruchi was consistently increasing and a dry port would enhance the region’s logistics infrastructure, attract investments, and support sustained export growth. Tiruchi’s strategic central location in the State with excellent air, road and rail connectivity, made it an ideal place for locating the dry port.

The required land of about 100 acres for the dry port could be identified in the SIPCOT Industrial Park near Manapparai or other locations with access to highways, Mr. Durai Vaiko suggested and urged the Minister to take steps to set up the dry port in Tiruchi as it would not only bring immense benefit to the regional economy but also boost the nation’s overall exports.