G K Vasan for self-reliance in dredging

With plans to buy two 9,000 cubic-metre capacity dredgers in the near future, Union shipping minister G.K. Vasan envisaged self-reliance in the dredging sector. “We will involve the profit-making ports like Kandla and JNPT to finance the new dredgers, which would increase the Dredging Corporation of India (DCI)’s capital dredging capacity,” said Vasan, after dedicating the Dredge XX to the nation at Chennai Port Trust on Friday. Vasan said that the DCI should be in a position to handle 80 to 100 per cent of annual maintenance dredging works of Indian ports by 2020. The new dredger was part of the three vessels that the shipping ministry had planned to buy in 2009. While the first dredger is already at work at Ennore Port, the second one would also start its duty at the same port. Captain A.P.J. Mudaliar, master of the Dredge XX, said that the dredger would move to Kandla port after completing its requirements at Ennore Port Trust by October this year. Earlier, Vasan said that the third dredger would also reach Indian ports before its scheduled delivery in February 2014. On the two new dredging vessels, which would cost about Rs 1,972 crore, the minister said that about Rs 1,000 crore would come from the well-to-do ports to finance the acquisitions. Dredging Corporation of India chairman and managing director D.K. Mohanty said that the corporation is planning to phase out vessels beyond 35-years of age. “We have already phased out one dredger and would soon phase out the second,” he added.