December 04, 2008

Dredging at Paradip Port to begin soon

BL reported that the long waited dredging at Paradip port is to start soon as Paradip Port Trust has urged the Dredging Corporation of India to start forthwith the work on deepening of navigable channel of the port.

The scope of the job would include extension of the approach channel from the present 2 kilometer to 10 kilometer. Also, the depths of both approach channel and entrance channel would be increased from 12.8 meters to 18.7 meters and from 12.5 meters to 17.1 meters, respectively. DCI has to complete the job within 60 weeks from December 13th 2007.

Mr K Raghuramaiah chairman of Paradip Port Trust said that “The union cabinet has approved the revised cost estimate of the scheme and accordingly we have received communication from the shipping ministry. Once the channels have been deepened, the draft will increase from the present 12 meters to 16 meters and Paradip port will be fully geared to handle much larger size vessels up to 125,000 DWT vessels as against up to 65,000 DWT vessels at present.”

The original cost estimate was INR 154 crore, subsequently revised to INR 253.36 crore for which the government approval was needed. The budgetary support in the revised estimate will be to the tune of INR 45 crore.