Berhampur, Dec. 12: Gopalpur port, which was closed after the cyclone Phailin struck Odisha coast on October 12, 2013, reopened today.

Operations began with the Sri Lankan ship, SH Grace, anchoring at the port. Commerce and transport minister Ramesh Chandra Majhi inaugurated the maiden shipment of ilmenite, the sand mineral product of the Odisha Sands Complex, a unit of Indian Rare Earths Limited.

"I am happy the port has reopened," said managing director of Gopalpur Ports Limited (GPL) Mahimananda Mishra. "The reopening of the port within 24 months after Phailin is a record."

"The ilmenite will be shipped to China," said GPL director Mohan Maharana.

Five vessels would be shipped from Gopalpur port with cargo of salt of Jaya shree Chemicals, fertiliser and coal to various destinations this month. The first berth was inaugurated today and the second one will be ready by March 2016. We have now initiated steps to open three or four berths during the first phase and eight berths in the second phase, he said.

Majhi said the state government would help the port authority to develop it into an all-weather facility. "I hope Gopalpur becomes a model port like Paradip in the near future," he said. The capacity of Gopalpur port is nine million tonnes per annum and 19 berths have been proposed to be set up there.

The minister said 13 places had the potentialities for ports in the state. "The state government has signed MoU for establishing two more ports at the Subarnarekha creek in Balasore and Astarang in Puri. But, the process has been delayed, because a case is pending in the high court," the minister said.

Berhampur MP Siddhant Mahapatra said: "We had lost hope of reviving Gopalpur port, because the extent of its damage during Phailin was unimaginable. But, Mahimananda Mishra and his team have done it."

Former Gopalpur MLA and Congress leader Trinath Behera said he was happy with the development, because it was the Congress government that had launched the Gopalpur port project in 1982.<>"While the GPL requires 1,200 acres for an all-weather port, the state government has provided only 500 acres. The state government must provide adequate land and funds to develop the facility," he said.