The Kolkata Port Trust (KoPT) and the Indian Railways may participate in a Rs. 2,000-crore rail-road connectivity project to the proposed new port at Sagar Island.

Located approximately 80 km south of Kolkata, at the confluence of the Muri Ganga river with the Bay of Bengal, the island is now not connected either by road or rail.

Rites Ltd – the multi disciplinary consultancy company under the Railways — is currently assessing the feasibility of the project. According to the Union Railways Minister, Ms Mamata Banerjee, the feasibility report will be ready in the next three to four months.

The KoPT has already announced a plan to build a new port at the Sagar Island at an estimated cost of a Rs 3,000 crore.

Approximately 2,000 acres of land required for the project will be reclaimed from the sea.

The port is scheduled to have an initial capacity to handle 60 million tonnes of bulk as well as containerised cargo.

The Railways Minister was speaking at the foundation stone laying ceremony for building a dyke – necessary for land reclamation - on Muri Ganga river at the Diamond Harbour on Thursday.

The land reclamation was estimated to cost Rs 100 crore. The project will be completed in eight months.

Mr M.L. Meena, Chairman, KoPT, pointed out that despite the ongoing dredging activities, the existing docks at Haldia and Kolkata were suffering from inadequate draft.

According to him, as against a draft of 9 metre in Kolkata and 6 metres at Haldia, the proposed port at Sagar will have 11-13 metres of draft.

“The draft in Sagar is good for large vessels,” Mr Meena said adding that KoPT was also looking forward to add shipbuilding and ship repairing activities at Sagar.

Related Topics
comment COMMENT NOW