Business Daily from THE HINDU group of publications
Tuesday, Jun 27, 2006
Business Daily from THE HINDU group of publications Tuesday, Jun 27, 2006 |
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Logistics
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Shipping Tuticorin port project gets environment clearance Raja Simhan T.E.
Project work To get a draught of 12.8 metres, the harbour basin has to be dredged to a depth of 14 metres and the approach channel to 14.6 metres for a length of 4,100 metres. The port entrance must be widened to 230 metres by removing the existing pier heads and providing additional protective spurs to maintain the tranquillity conditions inside the dock basin.
A FILE photo of the the container terminal at the Tuticorin port.
Chennai , June 26 The Rs 685-crore Inner Harbour Development Project at the Tuticorin port has got environment clearance from the Union Ministry of Environment and Forests. The project's main portion is a dredging component of Rs 440 crore to improve the draught in the port to 12.8 metres from the present 10.7 metres. This will enable the port to handle panamax size vessels, which are of the maximum dimensions that will fit through the locks of the Panama Canal.
Invites bids
The Tuticorin Port Trust has invited applications from dredging companies for pre-qualifying for deepening the channel and basin. The project is important for the port's development, Mr N.K. Raghupathy, Chairman, Tuticorin Port Trust, told Business Line. "We had to wait nearly 18 months to get the environment clearance. By March 2008, the port will have the increased draught," he said. The port had sought Rs 221 crore budgetary support from the Union Government for dredging, and the rest of the amount would be funded by the port trust, which would consider institutional financing, he said.
Infrastructure
With growing port traffic, including container handling, there is a tremendous pressure to improve its infrastructure. Due to draught restrictions, the port is unable to handle large vessels, including main line container ships. During 2005-06, the port handled all-time record cargo traffic of 17.14 million tonnes exceeding the previous year's 15.81 mt. Container handing was 3.21 lakh TEUs (20-foot equivalent units) compared with 3.07 lakh TEUs in the previous year. Mr Raghupathy said to get a draught of 12.8 metres, the harbour basin has to be dredged to a depth of 14 metres and the approach channel to 14.6 metres for a length of 4,100 metres. The port entrance needs to be widened to 230 metres from 152 metres by removing the existing pier heads and providing additional protective spurs to maintain the tranquillity conditions inside the dock basin as part of development works, he said. The Indian Ports Authority did an independent study of traffic potential for the project and the National Institute of Ocean Technology gave the techno economic feasibility report. L&T Ramboll did the mathematical model study to widen the port entrance, he said. The project will also include construction of cargo berth number 9 at a cost of Rs 36 crore and dredging the dock basin in front of the proposed berth 9 at an estimated cost of 46 crore. Both these schemes will be taken up simultaneously and entrusted to two different contractors.
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