The Haldia Dock Complex (HDC) under the Kolkata Port Trust (KoPT) is facing closure owing to massive shoaling along its channels, posing threat to its hinterland that covers eastern and north eastern India stretching up to Nepal.
HDC sources told PTI that inadequate dredging by the Dredging Corporation of India (DCI) had reduced the depths of Jellingham and Auckland to 4.0 metre and 4.1 metre against the targeted depth of 5.0 metre and 5.1 metre respectively, threatening ship movement to and from the dock.
"The persistent shoaling trend is threatening total closure of shipping at Haldia Dock Complex in near future unless the shoaling trend is reversed immediately," KoPT's Marine Department Director A K Bagchi said in a letter to the DCI Chairman-cum-Managing Director.
In a letter dated June 28, Bagchi had asked DCI to deploy adequate number of dredgers for the Haldia channel whose depth was deteriorating at an alarming rate.
The issue was followed up by the Superintendent, Dredger and Despatch Service of the KoPT with two more reminders to the General Manager (Operations) of DCI in letters dated July 3 and July 15, Bagchi said.
At a meeting of the HDC's Traffic Assessment Committee (TAC) on April 30, Bagchi pointed out that a severe draft cut of one metre had to be imposed resulting in the drastic reduction of parcel size of all Haldia vessels.