Loss of cargo by Visakhapatnam Port due to window period provided for navigation vessels on alternate days since mid-2013 will come to an end with efforts underway to complete dredging in the inner harbour to increase draft to 14 metres by September 30.
To enable dredging without interruptions, navigation of vessels into inner harbour and dredging are allowed on alternate days. Presently, vessels with 13 metres draft are being handled after lightening at the outer harbour.
“We will be ready to receive fully laden Panamax vessels with 14 metres draft by month-end,” Port Chairman M.T. Krishna Babu told
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International Dredging Seaport Ltd completed dredging in the outer harbour to handle Cape size vessels in November, 2013, at a cost of Rs.130 crore.
The port will achieve a major milestone once inner harbour dredging is completed. Owing to involvement of soft and rock strata dredging it was handed over to Dredging Corporation of India and Dharti Dredging & Infrastructure Ltd. DCI completed soft soil dredging of one million cubic metres long ago.
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Dharti has speeded up rock dredging with explosives (super gel packets) in polyethyelene covers between two hillocks in the neighbourhood of LPG jetty and Dolphin’s Nose. Dharti is using millisecond detonators to reduce intensity of vibrations and impact on harbour structures.
Use of underwater drilling and blasting techniques are being done under supervision of Indian School of Mines, Dhanbad.
The total cost of inner harbour dredging is Rs.300 crore. Panamax vessel J.S. Rehin laden with 58,000 tonne bauxite with a draft of 12.82 metres berthed at west quay-3 of inner harbour on July 24.
“The completion of 14 metre draft in the inner harbour will be dream come true for us to compete with other ports with world-class standards,” a BOT operator said.
Outer harbour dredging was completed in 2013 at a cost of Rs. 130 crore