The falling draft Haldia channel could be saved by the possibility of re-establishment of a natural channel that has shown up in recent satellite pictures.
Pune-based Central Water & Power Research Station (CWPRS) would take up a detailed survey of this new alignment next month. A team from the Geological Survey of India has already started work there.
“As this new channel is a natural formation, the chances of it being stable are more. It is more in line with natural forces”, said A K Chanda, chairman, Kolkata Port Trust (KoPT).
Most of the components of the capital dredging initiative at the Balari bar taken up in the 1980's were not implemented apart from some like building the Northern and the Southern Guide Walls, resulting in a reducing draft over the years. The cost of this initiative under the River Regulatory Measures in the Hooghly Estuary had shot up to Rs936 crore now.
“Based on the CWPRS report, this cost could now be re-worked and can be expected to come down if the new channel could be re-established”, Chanda informed.
The draft in the Haldia channel was 0.3 metre down in September this year at 7.5m compared to the same month last year, the chairman claimed.
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The reduced draft had forced big bulk carriers of Panamax type to reduce their parcel size by 7000 tons in the last one year, alleged R K Burman, secretary of the Haldia Dock Officers' Forum.
He added that the draft was lower by one meter on a year-on-year basis in July this year.
“Around seven maintenance dredgers are working now at Sethusamundram Ship Channel Project. Haldia Port immediately needs at least four dredgers for the four lean months and the Shipping Ministry should look into the issue”, Burman said.
KoPT has urged the Dredging Corporation of India (DCI), the perennial supplier of dredgers to the port, to retain one cutter-suction dredger that is working at the first oil-jetty for the coming two years.
“This capital dredger was sanctioned to the port beyond its contract with DCI. The shipping ministry dredging wing has agreed to retain the dredger with KPT”, Chanda said.
Haldia would get two more trailer-suction dredgers from DCI, one next week followed by another in November.
In addition to this fleet, the port has already asked for two dredgers on an emergency basis for the lean months when the monsoons get over and the draft starts to fall. This would continue till February and the draft historically is lesser by 0.3m during this period.
“We have a meeting with the Shipping Secretary this week and would pursue the issue of two additional dredgers”, Chanda said.
KoPT would charter one more trailer-suction dredger through Transchart, expected in December.
“As we now have assurance about the additional cutter-suction dredger from DCI together with the possibility of getting two more during the lean months, we would charter one dredger for the time being”, Chanda explained.
Speaking at the KPT-Hilary Institute seminar on draft issues in Haldia, Laxman Seth, member of the Parliament from Haldia, pointed out that lack of commitment is the reason behind today's crisis.
“The port would have fared better if it were in private hands. More innovative solutions are expected to tackle the draft issue. Investments worth Rs 50,000 crore has been committed in the region, and another Rs 30,000 crore should come in the coming few years and the port is the major infrastructure that draws investors to the region,” he said.
Seth said the trustees of KoPT needed more local representation from stakeholders as well as politicians from the region. A consortium with all industry stakeholders from the region was needed to expedite the process of transloading at Kanika Sands in Orissa, he added.