The Kolkata Port Trust has invited bids – requests for qualification or RFQs – for construction of a 270-metre long riverine multipurpose jetty at the Haldia dock.
PPP mode
The jetty, to be located in the upstream of the present third oil jetty of the dock and complete with back-up facilities, will be implemented through the PPP (public-private partnership) mode on the basis of DBFOT( design, build, finance, operate and transfer) basis, according to port sources. The cost of the project is estimated at Rs 290 crore. The last date for submission of RFQ application is March 28. The same day the applications will be opened.
Capacity
Interestingly, the scope of the project pre-supposes that 70 per cent traffic of the 4.5 mtpa capacity jetty has to be generated through transloading operation proposed to be undertaken by the port in two stages – at the Sandheads, the mouth of the Hooghly river, during the dry season and at Kanika Sands, an island off the Orissa coast, during the monsoon months. The essence of transloading is this: Large carriers with full load, unable to call at the Haldia dock due to the navigability problem in the Hooghly river, will unload cargo at transloading points from where smaller vessels to carry the cargo to the dock for second round of discharge at the dock.
Voices concern
It might be noted that the Orissa Government and the authorities of Dhamra port have already voiced their concern over the Shipping Ministry's decision to extend the limit of the Kolkata port to Kanika Sands, arguing that transloading operations at Kanika Sands by the Kolkata port will hit Dhamra port and several other private ports due to come in the area. Dhamra port is a joint venture between Tata Steel and L&T.
Legally, Kolkata port, as the source claim, stands on a firm ground. Territorial waters are open to all. Only the Union Government , not any State Government or any other authority, can take decision in this regard. In this case, the Shipping Ministry has already taken decision and notified in the gazette. KoPT sources are hopeful that transloading in full swing will generate more than the stipulated 3.75 million tonnes of traffic (i.e. 70 per cent of 4.5 mt) for the proposed project.
Mulls Additional facility
The port authorities, therefore, are mulling to construct another riverine jetty - though smaller in size , 175 metre in length - to handle projected increased volume of transloading traffic.
The capacity of the smaller jetty will be 2.5 million tonnes. However, the jetty will not be built on PPP basis but by the port itself. The cost of civil construction is estimated at Rs 33 crore.