Construction work of the Oluvil harbour will be completed before the end of the year, Ports and Aviation Deputy Minister Rohitha Abeygunawardena said. The first phase of the Oluvil harbour that comprises 52 percent of the total construction has already been completed.
The second phase has started.
Work is underway to rapidly complete the project before the expected time, he said.
By the first quarter of 2011, it is intended to vest the harbour to the public. The main objective of the harbour is to lobby all commercial activities in the Eastern region, Abeygunawardena said.
The construction of a harbour in the Eastern Province was decided in the Government as part of a broader infrastructural development drive undertaken to improve the quality of life and ensure economic growth, he said.
Work on the Oluvil Harbour began on May 2008. It consists of a trade complex and fisheries port.The trade complex is 330 metres in length and has an eight metre deep jetty. The Fisheries port consists of a fish stall, a freezing facility centre, nets and other equipments. The Danish Government has given Rs 6,634 million to construct the harbour.
Suraj A. Bandara (Dailynews.lk)