Catching up with the changing time, Visakhapatnam Port Trust is in the process of converting east quay two to five berths built in 1933 into multi-cargo berths by increasing the draft to handle fully-laden Panamax vessels with a deadweight tonnage of two lakh by October. As part of modernisation, the port authorities realised that the berths have turned too old to handle cargo and have completed dismantling them. Now work is at apace to raise the draft from 11 metres to 14.5 metres. “By mobilising resources from internal accruals, we want to develop two Panamax compatible berths at cost of Rs. 190.5 crore,” VPT Deputy Chairman P.L. Haranadh has told The Hindu. The new berths will have a capacity to handle 6.45 million tonne per annum. Ships with overall length of 230 metres can be navigated easily overcoming the restrictions due to the channel. Cargoes like steel, granite, foodgrains and project equipment and material are expected. After completion, according to sources, the port may entrust the job of managing the berths on operation and management contract or tonnage basis by floating tenders. One of the old berths has the glorious history of receiving passenger ship S.S. Jaladurga.