Dedicated Terminal facility for Dweep passengers

KOCHI: Soon passengers to Lakshadweep bound vessels will have a dedicated terminal facility in Kochi.
Going by the pace, the new Lakshadweep Passenger Terminal facility to come up at the Cochin Port will be operational by January 2012.The facility is being set up by the Lakshadweep Port Department at a cost of `40 crore. Though the new terminal is being established at the area given by the Cochin Port Trust, the new facility will be managed by the Lakshadweep Port Department. It will have a host of facilities, including the security checking area, passenger waiting zone and other related facilities. "The construction has already begun for the terminal which will be coming up between the BTP Berth and Mattanchery Warf. The canal cleaning, dredging and other related activities for ships to arrive and to carry out its service will be available here. The terminal will be exclusively for the Lakshadweepbound vessels," Cochin Port Trust Traffic Manager Unnikrishnan Nair said. With the monsoon fast approaching the demand for a dedicated terminal facility for Lakshadweepbound passengers has been active for some time.