After the Union budget proposed to reduce the import duty on dredgers, the Mumbai Nhava Sheva channel dredging project got discontinued. The Jawaharlal Nehru Port Trust (JNPT) asked the bidders to submit their changed, and hopefully lowered, bids for this huge project.
All three bidders, the four European dredging giants, Dredging International and Van Oord Dredging bidding in a consortium while the other two, Jan De Nul, and Royal Boskalis bidding independently, are competing for the contract.
The estimated cost is Rs 1,571.6 crore, of which dredging takes up Rs 1,398.97 crore. Planned works include dredging of the channel from the current 10.5-11 metres to 14-metres in depth. According to mydigitalfc.com, the JNPT are only awaiting an official approval from the shipping ministry to open the price bids and announce the winner of the contract.
The Mumbai Harbour Channel and JNPT Channel will be deepened and widened to handle vessels of up to 6,000 containers of capacity. The length of the channel will go up from the present 29km to 33.54km. The width will also be increased from 325 meters in the straight reach to 370 meters.
The works are scheduled to be completed in 25 months.
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Dredging Today Staff, April 16, 2012;