Posted on April 29, 2018
By Rajesh B. Nair, The Hindu
Trial run for container movement by Chennai Port Trust leaves heavy silt at the river mouth
The operationalisation of the port will be delayed because of heavy silt formation at the mouth of the harbour after the Chennai Port Trust conducted a trial run for container movement.
The Public Works Department had taken up dredging of the river mouth. “We don’t think we will be able to operate the port for the next two or three months,” said a senior official.
With the maintenance dredging done by the Dredging Corporation of India as a short-term measure not yielding the desired results, the Port Department fast-tracked the capital dredging work under the Centrally sponsored Sagar Mala scheme.
Funds sanctioned
The Ministry of Shipping sanctioned 70 crore for capital dredging under the Sagar Mala scheme based on a detailed project report (DPR) submitted by the Indian Institute of Technology, Madras. Under the scheme, approximately 7.5 lakh cubic metres of sand would be removed from the mouth.
A sand trap of 8 to 10 metres depth would be created at the mouth for natural accumulation of sediments. Once the sand trap was ready, the sand could be excavated as and when needed for regular movement of the vessels.
Funds released
According to Department of Port Secretary P. Parthiban, the Ministry released 18 crore for commencement of work.
Now, the department had to appoint a project management consultant to prepare the Environment Impact Assessment report, he said.
“We are hopeful of starting the capital dredging work shortly. It will be a permanent solution to the problems faced by fishermen of taking out vessels due to accumulation of sand,” he said.
Capital dredging, he said, was different from the excavation done by the DCI recently and by the Port Department in the past.
The DCI was entrusted to remove only 3 lakh cubic metres of sand for container movement. For the channel to be navigable for a bigger container vessel and barge, the mouth should be 5 metres deep. Removal of 7.5 lakh cubic metres of sand would make the mouth navigable, he said.
The DPR recommended reconstruction of the century-old pier under the Sagar Mala scheme for making it ready for ferry service between Chennai and Rameswaram. The reconstruction of the pier would cost 70 crore. It had mooted a bypass connecting the port and Cuddalore road at a cost of 100 crore.
