Sri Lanka is planning to resume the operations of the passenger ferry service connecting India’s Nagapattinam and Sri Lanka’s Kankesanthurai (KKS) – which has currently been halted due to unfavourable weather conditions – in the middle of this month (January), said the Ministry of Ports, Shipping, and Aviation.
Speaking to The Daily Morning yesterday (1 January), the Secretary to the Ministry K.D.S. Ruwanchandra said that the Ministry is planning to resume the operations of the ferry service from this month as soon as the prevailing unfavourable weather conditions are over. “We halted the ferry service due to the high tides prevailing these days. The operations will begin the same as how it was without any shortcoming,” he said.
When he was queried about the recent proposal to expand the current ferry service linking all ports of Sri Lanka to India, he said that no initiation regarding the proposal has taken place so far but that the subject Minister Nimal Siripala de Silva has conveyed the Sri Lankan Government’s willingness to give approval if any such project will take place in the future. He also said that the proposal was first submitted by de Silva and that it was welcomed by the newly appointed Indian High Commissioner to Sri Lanka.
In October last year (2023), the passenger vessel named “Cheriyapani”, measuring 35 metres in length and 9.6 metres in height, which is owned by the Shipping Corporation of India and has a capacity of accommodating 150 passengers, commenced its operations in Sri Lanka. The journey from Nagapattinam to the KKS Port is estimated to take approximately four hours, with a one-way ticket costing Rs. 26,750 and a round-trip ticket priced at Rs. 53,500. The operators of the passenger ferry service have indicated that each passenger is allowed to carry up to 50 kg of luggage.
According to media reports, the Ports Authority has invested Rs. 450 million to construct a modern passenger terminal at the Port of KKS and this terminal is equipped with facilities, including provisions for immigration, customs, and health services.