Dredging at Paradip port to begin soon

Kolkata: The long-awaited dredging at Paradip port is to start soon. Paradip Port Trust has urged the Dredging Corporation of India (DCI) to start forthwith the work on deepening of navigable channel of the port.

“The Union Cabinet has approved the revised cost estimate of the scheme and accordingly we’ve received communication from the Shipping Ministry,” Mr K. Raghuramaiah, Chairman of PPT, told Business Line over phone from Paradip.

Cost estimate

The original cost estimate was Rs 154 crore, subsequently revised to Rs 253.36 crore for which the Government approval was needed.

The budgetary support in the revised estimate will be to the tune of Rs 45 crore.

Deadline

DCI has to complete the job within 60 weeks from December 13, 2007, which is the date of sanction of the revised estimate.

The scope of the job, as Mr Raghuramaiah pointed out, would include extension of the approach channel from the present 2 km to 10 km.

Also, the depths of both approach channel and entrance channel would be increased from 12.8 metres to 18.7 metres and from 12.5 metres to 17.1 metres, respectively.

Draft increase

“Once the channels have been deepened, the draft will increase from the present 12 metres to 16 metres 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,” he added.