With the draft of the Haldia Dock Complex creating severe problems of navigability, the Kolkata Port Trust has adopted the twin strategy of creating new port facilities around Haldia in Purba Medinipur while opening the new `Eden' channel which will help bypass the existing Auckland channel.
The new Chairman of the Kolkata Port Trust, M. L. Meena, said that while dredging subsidy now being received from the Centre, would continue till the new facilities were ready, efforts were on to create new port facilities at three locations — Salukkhali (Purba Medinipur), Sagar and Diamond Harbour. He was speaking at a meeting organised by the Merchants Chamber of Commerce.
He said the 170 acres of state government-owned land was available for setting up three jetties at Salukkhali and a meeting has been fixed later this week with the state government. “This facility would be used for bulk cargo handling and the remaining 300-400 acres required can be reclaimed from the river." He said that subsequently tenders would be floated for implementing the project in the public, private partnership (PPP) mode.” The Rs. 600-crore project should be ready within 12 months of the tender", he said.
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Pointing out that new port facilities should have been planned years back, Mr. Meena said that there was no conflict between a deep-sea port and smaller ports. “We want many ports as the economic growth of a region was inextricably linked with good port facilities”. He agreed with most of the points highlighted by the MCC members saying that while a riverine port like Kolkata would have its problems, he would do whatever he could for the trade within the ministry guidelines.
On the Eden Channel, which was identified last year through satellite imaging, he said KoPT planned to open this channel by February 2011 which would improve Haldia draft.
The MCC Senior Vice President, Sudesh Sonthalia, said in 2009-10 KoPT traffic declined by 14.6 per cent with Haldia suffering a 20.4 per cent decline.
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