Cargo operations between India’s southern Tuticorin port and two atolls of the Maldives, Addu and Huvadhu, commenced on Thursday morning, Sun news reported. 

The operations began as MV Bonthi 2, a shipping boat of the Maldives State Shipping (MSS) had departed for Tuticorin port in India. The boat is expected to return by Friday evening to southern Addu City in the Maldives.  

Earlier while inaugurating a domestic airport in the Maldives, the country’s President Mahammad Solih had announced that the two southern atolls of the Maldives would soon begin trade with Tuticorin port of India. 

The move is part of the several measures taken by the Maldives government to decentralize trade in order to reduce logistic cost thus directly benefiting the residents of these atolls.

Earlier the president termed the Kulhudhuffushi-Kochi operations as extremely important to decentralizing business.

After the lockdown in March, cargo operations between the two countries commenced in September. The first shipment of the cargo consisted of cement and other materials. 

The cargo boat operations earlier involved unloading in Kulhudhuffushi and then going to Male’ City, the capital, each trip taking a total of 10 days.