Chennai: The state govt has sought the Centre’s support to launch a ferry service between Rameswaram and Talaimannar in Sri Lanka’s Northern Province, following the successful operation of the Nagapattinam–Kankesanthurai (near Jaffna) service for the past two years. Rameswaram and Talaimannar are around 26 nautical miles apart.Officials said the proposed international ferry service would require bilateral arrangements, immigration and customs facilities, maritime security and terminal infrastructure. The project will be taken forward in stages, subject to feasibility studies and approvals from the competent authorities. “Tamil Nadu Maritime Board has urged Union govt to provide ₹100 crore for the project. Environmental clearances will be required as facilities such as a jetty and passenger terminal need to be constructed. The project may be taken up under ‘Sagarmala 2.0’,” an official said.The state govt is also working to expand the existing Nagapattinam-Kankesanthurai ferry service and is reaching out to operators from other regions. The move follows an announcement by highways and minor ports minister Aadhav Arjuna in the legislative assembly to further strengthen maritime connectivity, trade, tourism, and historical and cultural ties between India and Sri Lanka. “This is aimed at ending monopoly, creating competition and improving passenger facilities,” an official said. Govt also plans to introduce a cargo service with a capacity of 500 tonnes, primarily to serve the construction, food and textile sectors.The private ferry service started in Aug 2024, was disrupted during the monsoon and resumed in Feb 2025. With a travel time of four-and-a-half hours, the service carried 21,812 passengers from Nagapattinam and 26,242 passengers from Kankesanthurai until Sept. The 150-seater private ferry operates for nine months — from March to Nov — six days a week, with an average occupancy rate of 60%. “Safety is our top priority. Each passenger can carry up to 60kg of goods, with the first 10kg free of charge. Tourists from Tamil Nadu and small traders from the other side use the ferry service,” said Subham Ferry Service chief business officer B S Sivaram.According to officials, Union ministry of external affairs has recently sanctioned viability-gap funding for another year to support the existing ferry service. The assistance includes ₹6 crore towards the deployment of CISF personnel and ₹2 crore for the salaries of terminal staff. The state govt had earlier sought viability-gap funding for three years.
