Andhra Pradesh Begins Land Acquisition for Phase II of Mulapeta Port

The first phase of the ₹4,362-crore deep-sea greenfield port, formerly known as Bhavanapadu Port, is more than 80 per cent complete. Construction of the road connecting the port to National Highway-16 is also progressing rapidly, and the facility is expected to become operational by November this year.

Designed with an 18-metre draft, Mulapeta Port will feature four berths—three for general cargo and one dedicated to coal handling. The port will be capable of accommodating Panamax and Capesize vessels and is planned to handle 23.5 million tonnes of cargo annually.

In a significant development, the Central Government recently approved the transfer of 385 acres of Naupada salt lands to the Andhra Pradesh Maritime Board, enabling direct road and rail connectivity to NH-16. Dredging works have been completed, while over 92 per cent of the breakwater construction is already finished.     The state government has approved the acquisition of 1,903 acres for the second phase of the project and sanctioned ₹440 crore towards compensation for affected farmers. Revenue officials have begun preliminary work to identify the required land ahead of the formal acquisition process.

According to Santabommali Tahsildar Hemasundara Rao, the revenue department will commence land acquisition proceedings once formal government orders are issued. However, groundwork for identifying land has already begun.   Officials have identified more than 150 acres of Inam land in Potinaidupeta village, where notifications have been issued. Around 1,200 acres of Andhra Pradesh Industrial Infrastructure Corporation (APIIC) land between Kakarapalli and Akasalakkavaram are also available for the project. Additional land parcels are being assessed in Sandhipeta, M Sunnapalli, Kottalingudu, Patalingudu and Meghavaram villages.   A senior revenue official stated that the government owns nearly 800 acres around Patalingudu village and has already initiated discussions with local residents regarding the proposed acquisition.

Once completed, Mulapeta Port is expected to reduce congestion at Visakhapatnam Port and serve as a major bulk cargo gateway for the landlocked states of Chhattisgarh and Jharkhand, strengthening Andhra Pradesh’s maritime infrastructure and logistics network.