Posted on October 26, 2015
By Manoj Mathew, OnManorama
The Cochin Port Trust (CPT) is working on a project to use the silt and sand dredged from the shipping channel in Kochi for construction purposes. The project assumes significance in the wake of the rising demand for sand in the State and restrictions imposed on mining sand due its environmental impact. Construction companies are facing a serious crisis due to paucity of sand. The companies are getting ready to import 1.5 lakh tonnes of sand from Philippines through Mumbai Port. It was in this context that CPT is mulling over the new project.
The port trust spends Rs.160 crore annually for dredging operations in the shipping channel. As much as 70,000 cubic metres of sand and slit are being dredged out from the Cochin Port every day. The sand and silt dredged from the shipping channel are now being dumped in the deep sea, almost 20 kms away from the mainland. Diverting it for construction purposes would offer a great relief to the construction sector, which is passing through a crisis due to shortage of sand. This would also help the CPT to save its expenses on dredging too.
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