Mangaluru: A fresh push to strengthen Mangaluru’s waterways and port infrastructure has received a key regulatory boost, with the proposed Gurupura waterway development and a series of projects at the Old Mangaluru Port securing environmental and Coastal Regulation Zone (CRZ) clearances.

The clearances pave the way for the Karnataka Maritime Board to move ahead with plans aimed at expanding water-based transport, cargo-handling capacity and passenger facilities in the region.

The projects include development of the Gurupura waterway, designated National Waterway-42 (NW-42), along with a cargo-handling facility and cruise terminal at the Old Mangaluru Port. The plan also includes a dedicated jetty for Lakshadweep and related infrastructure.

An environmental public hearing for the proposed developments was held under the chairmanship of the Dakshina Kannada Deputy Commissioner, following which the projects underwent scrutiny by the relevant environmental and coastal regulatory authorities.

The projects subsequently secured approvals from the State Environment Impact Assessment Authority (SEIAA), the Karnataka Environment Department and the authorities concerned with CRZ regulations.

The clearances mark an important step for the proposed infrastructure, which is expected to expand the role of Mangaluru’s waterways and port facilities in cargo movement and passenger connectivity.

Copies of the environmental and CRZ clearances have been made available with the Karnataka State Pollution Control Board and uploaded on the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change’s Parivesh portal.

The details have also been published on the Karnataka Maritime Board’s project portal, according to the executive engineer of the Ports and Fisheries Department, Udupi, in a release.