The Hindu Business Line : Need to set up R&D centre for dredging

WITH the port sector in the country poised for growth, research and development (R&D) activities in dredging are necessary for the growth of the sector, according to Mr Ravi Budhiraja, Chairman of the Indian Ports Association.

Inaugurating a seminar on `Capital and maintenance dredging practices in major ports of India' here on Friday, Mr Budhiraja, who is also the Chairman of the Jawaharlal Nehru Port Trust, said that R&D is wanting in dredging, though it is vital for the sector. R&D will help in bringing down the cost and time and will improve efficiency in dredging.

New concepts and better understanding of the sector are needed, he said.

Stating that there is a need to have low-cost dredging technologies, he said seminars such as this would help ports and research institutes to interact on the matter.

Stressing the need for a data bank, he said that a central dredging research centre could help in conducting research activities and training the manpower required for the sector. "There is a need to set up a central dredging research centre," he said.

Expressing concern over the limited number of players in dredging market, he said such a situation might lead to cartel formation, which is not good for the industry.

There is a need for a uniform system on factors related to bid documents, cost escalation and hydrographic surveys, he said.

The seminar was organised by NMPT, in association with Dredging Corporation of India and Jaisu Shipping Company Pvt Ltd.

National maritime complex: Speaking to presspersons on the sidelines of the seminar, Mr Budhiraja said that there is a plan to upgrade the National Institute of Port Management (NIPM) at Chennai into a national maritime complex.

The groundwork has begun in this matter. The complex is likely to materialise in a couple of years, he said. He will chair a meeting in Delhi on December 29 to discuss the new areas NIPM can take up when it will be upgraded into a national complex, he added.