The Hindu Business Line : Kochi port to invite tenders for Mattanchery wharf repair

A VIEW OF the Mattanchery Wharf from the channel. The Cochin Port Trust has initiated steps to revamp the Mattanchery Wharf after some of the berths collapsed last year. — K.K. Mustafah

Kochi , June 16

To equip the Mattanchery Wharf to handle more number of bulk cargo vessels, the Cochin Port Trust is all set to commence its reconstruction of the collapsed berths based on the designs submitted by experts from IIT, Madras. The expert committee, constituted by the port following the caving in of some of the berths in the wharf last year, has already submitted the structural designs of the wharf and the port is in the process of preparing the tender documents to award the work.

The Port Trust Chairman, Mr N. Ramachandran, told Business Line that the reconstruction of the wharf would be taken up in two phases and the first phase of the work, at an estimated cost of Rs 60 crore, would commence in October.

It is anticipated that at least one year would be needed to complete the first phase of the work, he added.

IN PHASES

To begin with, the Chairman said 250 metres length of the quay would be constructed to equip the berth to handle bulk cargo ships.

The second phase of the work, will involve the construction of 410 metres of length of quay.

The cost of the construction would be met from the port's internal sources, he said.

The Port Trust Board had cleared the structural designs submitted by the expert committee from IIT, Madrasled by Prof Sundaravadivelu. The Union Government had also given in-principle approval for the reconstruction of the wharf soon after the collapse of some of the berths. The port authorities had also earlier carried out a feasibility study internally on the wharf for its reconstruction.

Also there are plans to increase the draught to 12.5 metres from the present 9.7 metres, he said.

The port is going to concentrate more on bulk cargo traffic and various marketing efforts are underway to attract bulk cargo vessels to the port.