The proposed coastal berth will come up next to the fishing jetty at the mouth of rivers Swarna and Seetha in Hangarkatta Port, Udupi district.
| Photo Credit: ANIL KUMAR SASTRY
Work on the ₹78.28 crore coastal berth and 15-km Class III waterway along Swarna river at Hangarkatta Port, in Udupi district in Karnataka, under the Sagarmala scheme will start once the Central Government accords the final approval, according to officials in the Inland Water Transport Department.
A 200-metre long jetty for the coastal berth would come up next to the fishing jetty at the port in the mouth of rivers Swarna and Seetha as per the proposal. All the necessary formalities, including coastal regulation zone clearance, environment clearance, and tendering, have been completed. The project is awaiting the final nod from the Centre for commencement of work, officials said.
Philip D’Costa from Kundapura has bagged the contract for construction of the coastal berth at an estimated cost of ₹48 crore. Another ₹28 crore is required for dredging the navigation channel while the remaining sum would be utilised for creation of ancillary facilities.
Once functional, the coastal berth would facilitate handling of vessels up to 1,000 tonnes DWT, and greatly benefit movement of coastal cargo as well as small cargo vessels from other countries. The berth as well as the waterway in the Swarna would facilitate transportation of goods to Udupi and nearby areas in the district, the official said.
Completion of the coastal berth project at Hangarkatta may take a year. The first task would be dredging. If the work could start by January 2026, the dredging and construction of a diaphragm wall for the jetty could be completed before the onset of monsoon, the official explained. Post-Monsoon, the remaining work could be executed, he added.
Other coastal berths
Responding to an unstarred question by Udupi-Chikkamagaluru Lok Sabha Member Kota Srinivas Poojary in the Lok Sabha recently, Union Minister for Shipping, Ports and Waterways Sarbananda Sonowal said, “Along with the Hangarkatta coastal berth, coastal berths were also proposed in Karwar (₹73 crore), Gangolli (₹95.88 crore), Old Mangaluru Port-Bengre (₹65 crore), and a dedicated Lakshadweep Jetty at Mangaluru Old Port (₹75.75 crore).
Of these, construction of the coastal berth at Bengre-Mangaluru is in the advanced stage while that of Lakshadweep Jetty is at the stage of obtaining environment clearance, the ports department official said. The department has kept the Gangolli coastal berth project on hold because of the presence of mangroves in the proposed site, the official added.
Published – December 16, 2025 01:20 pm IST
