The Andhra Pradesh Government has rationalised the notified geographical jurisdiction of two of its major ports—Ramayapatnam Port and the under-construction Machilipatnam Port—by reducing their coastal limits to 15 km from the existing 51 km and 64 km, respectively.
The decision, formalised through separate Government Orders (GOs), follows a review which found that a substantial portion of the land within the existing port limits remained unutilised and was not required for current operations or future expansion. The move is also aligned with the objectives of the Andhra Pradesh Maritime Policy, 2024.
According to the Government Order, the Andhra Pradesh Maritime Board (APMB) recommended revising the jurisdiction of Ramayapatnam Port after assessing its operational and long-term development requirements. The Board noted that the port’s existing jurisdiction, spanning nearly 51 km of coastline, exceeded what was necessary for planned maritime and logistics activities.
The APMB observed that retaining such a large notified area offered no immediate operational advantage, while potentially creating overlaps with the administrative boundaries of neighbouring ports and constraining integrated coastal development. Although the larger jurisdiction had originally been envisaged to accommodate future expansion, evolving development plans and actual operational needs necessitated a reassessment.
The revised notification ensures that only the land required for future port development, shipping operations and other maritime activities remains under the port’s jurisdiction.
A similar review was undertaken for Machilipatnam Port, which is currently under development. The State Government reduced its notified coastal jurisdiction from 64 km to 15 km after determining that a significant portion of the existing notified area remained unused and was unnecessary for the port’s projected development.
The Andhra Pradesh Government stated that the revised geographical jurisdiction for both Ramayapatnam and Machilipatnam ports will come into effect from June 29, 2026.
The rationalisation is expected to facilitate more efficient port planning, minimise jurisdictional overlaps and support balanced coastal development in line with the State’s maritime growth strategy.
