Kandla Port in Rs 125 crore spread plan

After commissioning its eleventh cargo berth that can handle Panamax vessels, Kandla Port Trust (KPT) has now embarked on a port expansion drive.

Plans have been drawn up for construction of the 12th, 13th and 14th cargo berths, all of which will be constructed to handle ships of the Post-Panamax order.

KPT will spend over Rs 125 crore in construction of the three berths over a period of three years.

While the 12th cargo berth will be constructed by inviting tenders from contractors, the 13th and 14th cargo berths at Kandla Port, located 13 kms off Gandhidham, will be constructed on a built-operate-transfer basis, port officials said. The proposal for construction of the 12th cargo berth has already been sent to the Union government.

"We have already invited pre-qualification tenders for the 12th cargo berth at KPT and received offers. The second stage of selecting the contractors," said A K Joti, chairman, KPT.

He said, "The 13th and 14 cargo berths will, however, be developed on a BOT basis."

For this though, the approval of the board will be required and this proposal is to be brought up before the board within the next two or three months.Simultaneously, KPT will take up an extensive dredging work at all berths.

From a draft of 9.14 metres in March 2000, KPT has already upgraded the drafts to 12.5 metres this month and aims to increase the draft to 13.5 metres by December 2004 so that the berths will be able to handle post-Panamax vessels with ease.Rs 1,235 million is being spent on this project.

Officials said ships having dimensions of 235 metres length, 40 metres beam, draught of 13.5 metres DWT of 75,000 tonnes and displacement load of 90,000 metric tonnes will be able to berth directly once the 12th berth is completed.

"It will take about 18 months to complete the work once the construction of the berth actually begins," said Joti. KPT has sanctioned Rs 480 million for the 12th cargo berth. KPT has also decided to augment its barge handling facility.

The augmented barge facility will be able to handle two additional barges of 30 metres in length that will enable the post-Panamax vessels to berth more easily. Rs 101 million has been sanctioned for the project, KPT officials said.

The port is also in the process of implementing a vessel traffic management system to track vessels moving in and out of the port.

This will also address security concerns in the Gulf of Kutch, as Kandla port is located 90 kms from the mouth of the Gulf of Kutch and has an approach channel of 23 kms.Rs 412.50 million is being spent on this.