The Cochin Port Trust is looking at manners of curbing dredging costs, anent increased expenditures for the purpose of shipping channel maintenance, IBNlive reports.
Namely the costs of the Cochin port’s maintenance have jumped from Rs 35 crore to Rs 110 crore on annual basis. The situation is further aggravated by the failure to share costs even though the channels are being used by the Coast Guard, Cochin Shipyard, the Kochi Refinery and the Navy.
As a result the Cochin Port Trust is also tabling the possibility of procuring its own dredger. In an attempt to carry out this idea the port management had lodged a request for assistance to the relevant Shipping Ministry for procurement of a dredger. However, the Ministry rejected the request and instead it proposed to opt for awarding a long-term contract, up to 20 years of duration, as an alternative way of cutting costs.
As claimed by the Cochin Port Trust chairman Paul Antony , they are considering various possibilities and talks with Dredging Corporation of India (DCI), present dredging contract holder for 2011-2014 period, are underway.
“The procurement of a dredger is just a proposal now. A decision will be taken in consultation with the DCI, ” Paul Antony said.
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Dredging Today Staff, March 26, 2012; Image: cochinport