Nod for Hooghly estuary project

By Our Special Correspondent

NEW DELHI, NOV. 13. The Government has given the green signal for a project relating to the execution of river regulatory measures to improve the draught in the Hooghly estuary leading to the Haldia Dock.

The project, finally cleared by the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs, is to be implemented at a total cost of Rs. 350 crores. The project had been recommended by the Public Investment Board which vetted it earlier.

Instructions for executing the project have been promptly issued by the Union Shipping Minister, Mr. Ved Prakash Goyal. He has asked officials of the Ministry to ensure that the project, for which a provision of Rs. 75 crores has been made in the current year's budget, is completed within the targeted date.

Sources said the project is to be completed within 18 months. The process relating to floating of tenders too is being set in motion. A major portion of the project cost would be spent on meeting the expenditure on capital dredging over Jiggerkhali Flat.

The project is considered important as the maintenance of draught is vital for the survival of Haldia Dock. Further, apart from resulting in an annual saving of Rs.51.60 crores in maintenance dredging cost, the navigational depth will increase from the current 8.5 metres to 9.5 metres once the project is implemented.

The project will also help enhance the capacity to service and handle the incremental traffic. The Calcutta Port Trust has projected an incremental traffic of 3.89 million tonnes on account of increased draught.

There would also be an incremental revenue earning of Rs. 57 crores from larger ships which could be accommodated with increased draught. The Government could then reduce the annual non-plan subsidy at the rate of 70 per cent of the revenue accruing to the port on account of the incremental traffic, which is estimated to be around Rs.40 crores annually.

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