Sonowal calls for efficient dredgers for ‘Maritime India Vision, 2030’
The building of a dredger in India is a “very good” examples of Indo-Dutch collaboration in the Make in India initiative and in the strengthening the long-standing maritime relationship between the two countries, Minister of Ports, Shipping & Waterways Sarbananda Sonowal said.
The collaboration involves IHC Holland BV, a global dredging group, as the technology partner in the construction of Beagle Series 12 Trailing Suction Hopper Dredger of 12000 Cubic Meter capacity with Cochin Shipyard Limited (CSL) which has signed a shipbuilding contract with listed-Dredging Corporation of India (DCI).
“This Ship Building Agreement is a very good example of Indo-Dutch collaboration in the Make in India initiative and in strengthening the long-standing Maritime relationship between the two countries,” he said at the contact signing on 17 March 2022.
Sonowal has also underlined the need for dredging ports, saying “India’s need for sufficient dredgers is of utmost importance.”
He hoped that new dredgers would be able to bring in the much needed efficiency and timely completion of dredging for smooth operation of vessels in ports.
Sonowal said his Ministry would be able to fulfil the objectives of the ‘Maritime India Vision, 2030’ with well equipped dredgers for operation of ports to bring down logistic cost of the cargo.
The DCI-CSL contract would benefit from the Shipbuilding Financial Assistance Policy (SFAP) (2016) for Indian Shipyards for shipbuilding contracts secured between 1 April 2016 and 31 March 2026.
Financial assistance is granted under this policy to Indian Shipyards equal to 17% of the lower of “Contract Price” or the “Fair Price” or “actual payments received”, whichever is least.
A provision of Rs.4,000 crore has been made for 10-year period, viz. 2016-2026, he pointed out.
The Ministry, Sonowal said, is also working hard towards achieving the goals laid out by the Prime Minister under the “Waste-to-Wealth” initiative.
It has issued Dredging Guidelines at Major Ports to ensure that the dredge material has to be taken up for recycling and reuse based on scientific study. This will enable to employ sustainable dredging disposal mechanism and promote waste to wealth.
He lauded the initiative of Cochin Port Trust which has been able to extract the dredged material and auction it.
Elsewhere, Paradip Port has been utilising 1 million cubic meter of dredged material for reclamation of land for Numaligarh Refinery Ltd, while Visakhapatnam Port and the Jawaharlal Nehru Port has been using part of dredged material for beach nourishment, he noted.
Dredging Corporation of India Limited, Visakhapatnam, is a listed company with majority of its shares held by a consortium of four major ports Authorities viz a viz, Visakhapatnam Port, Paradip Port, Jawaharlal Nehru Port and Deendayal Port. DCI provides dredging and allied services to major ports, minor ports, Indian Navy, Fishing Harbours and other maritime organizations. fiinews.com
