Ports to Acquire Controlling Stakes in Dredging Corporation of India
India's three major ports, including Paradip in Odisha, may acquire a stake in Dredging Corporation of India (DCI) based on availability of surplus funds lying with them."In a meeting chaired by Secretary (Shipping) with Chairmen/Chairmen I/C of Major Ports, held on 18th June 2018, the disinvestment proposal of Dredging Corporation of India Ltd (DCI) was discussed," Minister of State for Shipping Mansukh L Mandaviya informed the Parliament."It was suggested that Visakhapatnam Port Trust (VPT), Paradip Port Trust (PPT) and New Mangalore Port Trust (NMPT), based on the availability of surplus fund lying with them may strive to acquire shares of DCI given the linkage of dredging activity with the Ports…
Vizag Port to Become Transshipment Hub
India will develop Visakhapatnam, the largest city in the state of Andhra Pradesh, into a regional container transshipment hub. According to Visakhapatnam Port Trust Chairman M.T. Krishna Babu as part of transshipment hub plan, feeder services to Haldia, Kolkata, Chittagong in Bangladesh and ports in Myanmar would be developed. Because of its strategic location, the city was better placed than other ports to attract cargo even from distant places, he said. Efforts were on to attract mainland vessels to Visakhapatnam Port. Visakhapatnam will be a second transshipment port in the country, even as operations at the first, at Vallarpadam near Kochi, are yet to pick up pace.
VPT Attracts Panamax Vessels
The Visakhapatnam Port Trust (VPT), which is continuing its supremacy over other ports in cargo handling, is attracting a large number of Panamax vessels after the first phase of deepening in Outer Harbour. The VPT, which was handling vessels with 195 metres LOA (length over all) and 10.21 m draft till recently, has attained the capability to handle Panamax vessels of 230 m LOA, 32.5 m beam and 0.7 m. draft with progress in completion of Inner Harbour deepening. The port is catering to Panamax vessels with 11 m draft. It will have night navigation for Suez max tankers calling at Outer Harbour shortly, once it is widened further. The VPT has undertaken work on augmenting its capacity by deepening the channels in the second half of 2005-06.
