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The public sector Dredging Corporation of India is in a real fix, thanks to competing claims by the ports of Paradip and Kolkata. In June, DCI started dredging of approach and entrance channels of Paradip port, targeting to remove 15 million cubic metres of silt by June 2009. Till now, it succeeded in removing about three million cubic metres. The reason: DCI could not deploy the required number of dredgers. But DCI is helpless. The siltation problem in the Hooghly near Ha ldia dock assumed such an alarming proportion in August-September and it created such a furore that DCI had no other option but to withdraw vessels from Paradip and Sethusamudram projects for deployment in the Hooghly. Now Paradip is insisting on more dredgers to clear the dredging backlog.

After all, there is a contractual agreement between the dredging contractor and the port authorities that has to be honoured. To avoid probable payment of demurrage, DCI is mulling withdrawing two dredgers from the Hooghly and deploying them in Paradip. But the proposal has evoked sharp response from the Kolkata port authorities, who are believed to have approached the West Bengal Government to take up the issue with the Shipping Ministry.

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