SCI teams up with ports for dredging co

NEW DELHI: It is a mega venture in the dredging sector to face the Dutch and the Belgian threat. Shipping Corporation of India (SCI), Mazgaon dock and some of the major ports are all set to form a joint venture (JV) company for undertaking dredging works. The move is aimed to increase Indian participation in the sector that is presently dominated by the Dutch and the Belgian firms. The proposed company would also be involved in dredging of the Sethusamudram project.

Ports that are likely to join the JV include the Mumbai Port Trust and the Jawaharlal Nehru Port Trust. Kolkata port has also expressed interest in participating in the JV.

The JV firm will reduce the workload of the Dredging Corporation of India (DCI) as it does not have the capacity to meet the capital dredging demand across the country, a government official said. SCI is appointing a consultant to work out details of the JV. ���The developments are still in the preliminary stage. The Indian Ports Association (IPA) will check with its members to see which ports would like to join the JV,��� an SCI official said.

With containerised cargo trade growing at a rate of 14% in the country, the volume of dredging work is likely to grow by leaps and bounds. However, about 90% of the dredging work is concentrated in the hands of the Dutch and Belgian companies, which provide the vessels, machinery and technical expertise. SCI director Mr SS Rangnekar confirmed the move. ���It is a positive step initiated by the government. The new dredging company will provide a solid presence of Indian expertise and resources in the dredging sector,��� he said.

���With the demand for capital dredging work increasing across the country at existing and new ports, there was a need to create such a dredging company. DCI is focused more on maintenance dredging and has limited resources for capital dredging. We have asked SCI to work out the details of the JV,��� a senior shipping ministry official said.