The Hindu Business Line : DCI gets Sethusamudram dredging job

The entire dredging job of 82.5 million cubic metres (cu m) soil for the Sethusamudram Ship Channel Project (SSCP) has been entrusted to the Dredging Corporation of India (DCI).

The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) on Thursday gave its approval for 69 million cu m of dredging in four packages to Dredging Corporation of India (DCI) on nomination basis, in SSCP. DCI is a public sector undertaking (PSU) under the Department of Shipping. The cost of the dredging project is likely to be Rs 2,077.25 crore.

Earlier the Tuticorin Port had floated an international tender for dredging 69 million cu m for the second time, but the bidders had quoted rates in the range of Rs 5,000 crore, which more than double the outlay for the project, SSCP officials told Business Line.

The first round of bidding had also been cancelled as the winner, a subsidiary of Korean firm Hyundai, had sought advance fund mobilisation from the Government.

DCI has already been awarded the job to dredge 13.55 million cubic metres. As on date, the company has dredged 69,52,985 cu m.

Sethusamudram Ship Channel Project envisages dredging of a ship channel across the Palk straits between India and Sri Lanka. The project will allow ships sailing between the east and west coasts of India to have a straight passage through India's territorial waters, instead of having to circumvent Sri Lanka. This will lead to a saving of up to 424 nautical miles (780 Km) and up to 30 hours in sailing time.

Two channels will be created — one across Adam's Bridge (the chain of islets and shallows linking India with Sri Lanka) South-east of Pamban Island and another through the shallows of Palk Bay, deepening the Palk straits. The total length of these two channels would be 89 km.

It is estimated than in the first year of operation of the project, 3,055 ships will transit through the channel. This translates to about nine transits per day. However, the proposed depth of 12 m will impose restriction on the draft of the ships transiting through the channel.

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