The Hindu Business Line : Meet stresses need for united action to save Haldia dock

At a convention held at Haldia recently, the Save Haldia Dock Committee, comprising representatives of several port and dock workers’ unions and the Haldia Dock Officers’ Forum, the body of officers employed in the dock, gave the call for united action to save the Haldia dock from its present crisis caused by the deteriorating navigability of the Hooghly river.

Capital dredging

Despite several schemes and meetings, it was revealed at the convention that no capital dredging had been undertaken in the river since 1986, for whatever reasons.

Also, the level of maintenance dredging left much to be desired as the required number of dredgers was not being deployed for the job. No wonder, as it was pointed out, there had been excessive shoaling in the river, particularly near Auckland, the governing bar for the Haldia dock, for the past one year or so.

Uncertain future

The convention expressed concern that a large number of Haldia-based industrial units, both in private and public sectors, with a cumulative investment of about Rs 1,50,000 crorewere dependent on the dock and the present crisis would push them into uncertain future; worse, it would inhibit the prospects of future investments. The entire eastern region being the hinterland of the Haldia dock, any stalemate at the dock, it was feared, would cripple the economy of the region and entail loss of earnings of a large number of people dependent, directly and indirectly, on the dock for their livelihood.

Mr Ramakant Burman, Secretary, Haldia Dock Officers’ Forum, explained the gravity of the crisis and suggested steps needed to be taken immediately to overcome it.

Corrective measures

Mr Lakshman Seth, CPI(M) Member of the Lok Sabha, Mr Hemlal Chatterjee of the Calcutta Port & Shore Mazdoor Union, Mr Parbati Das of the Calcutta Port Sramik Union, Mr P.C. Laha of the National Union of Waterfront Workers and Mr Ranjit Guha of the All-India Trade Union Congress, among others, addressed the convention expressing their concern over the crisis facing the dock.

Meanwhile, the Deputy Chairman of Kolkata Port Trust in-charge of the Haldia Dock, Mr Rajeev Dube, called a meeting of the users of the dock, mostly Haldia-based industries, and explained to them the steps being taken to tackle the Hooghly river’s navigability problem near the dock.

The West Bengal Chief Minister, Mr Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee, too, it is learnt, discussed the Haldia dock’s problems with the External Affairs Minister, Mr Pranab Mukherjee, recently.

The West Bengal Transport Minister too, it is further learnt, is to take up the matter with the Union Shipping Minister.