Kolkata Port Prepares for ₹800-Crore Upgrade

In a bold initiative, Syama Prasad Mookerjee Port, Kolkata (SMPK), is set to revamp and modernize two container berths situated at the Netaji Subhash Dock of the Kolkata Dock System (KDS) within a tight two year timeframe.

Spearheading the project, SMPK aims to finalize the ₹800-plus crore public-private partnership (PPP) ventures within the upcoming three months.

Approval for the ambitious projects, which entail the reconstruction of berth No. 8 and the mechanization of berths No. 7 and 8 at the Netaji Subhash Dock, was granted earlier this month by the Ministry of Ports, Shipping, and Waterways. Prime Minister Narendra Modi ceremonially inaugurated the foundation stone for the endeavor on March 1.

Chairman of SMPK, Rathendra Raman, articulated, "The projects for the reconstruction and mechanization of berths at Netaji Subhash Dock of Kolkata Dock System are part of the government’s strategy to bolster container and cargo handling capacity, alongside further mechanization of SMPK. Tenders for the projects have already been released. Our objective is to conclude the tender process and award the projects within the next three months."

The projects are slated to be executed under the 'design, build, finance, operate, and transfer' (DBFOT) model.

Upon completion, the container handling capacity of berth No. 7 and 8 at Netaji Subhash Dock is anticipated to escalate to 0.48 million TEUs, with potential future augmentation to 0.78 million TEUs. The installation of three rail-mounted quay cranes under the project is expected to mitigate ship detention times at the dock, thereby enhancing operational efficiency.

Comprising two dock systems, KDS and Haldia Dock Complex, SMPK, formerly known as Kolkata Port Trust, currently boasts a combined cargo handling capacity of approximately 87.5 million tonnes (MT).

Port authorities have set sights on elevating the combined capacity to 115 MT by 2030 through a portfolio of 15 PPP projects. While three projects, valued at ₹733 crore, have already been awarded, the remainder, totaling around ₹5,200 crore, are in various stages of development.

In West Bengal, the Sagarmala program, aimed at port-led infrastructure advancement, oversees 62 projects valued at ₹16,300 crore. Of these, 19 projects, worth approximately ₹1,100 crore, have been successfully completed, with the remainder progressing through various implementation stages.

HBL