Work on new yard at Nazirgunge dock begins
Kolkata: In a significant step towards revival of the city-based Hooghly Dock and Port Engineers Ltd, the Hooghly Cochin Shipyard Limited (HCSL) on Saturday formally started the construction of a new yard at Nazirgunge dock in Howrah.
HCSL is a joint venture between Cochin Shipyard Ltd and Hooghly Dock and Port Engineers Limited (HDPEL) with a ratio of 74:26.
It intends to set up a modern shipbuilding and ship repair facility at Nazirgunge and Salkia, in close proximity to national waterways 1 and 2 equipped with a new side launching facility with sophisticated machineries in a phased manner. The project is expected to be completed in 24 months and the units will be fully operational by first quarter of 2021.
"The use of barges for transshipment of cargo is on the rise. So, if barges can be made and repaired here itself it will surely be of great benefit for the ports," a senior official of Kolkata Port Trust said.
The Inland Waterways Authority of India is coming up with national waterways 1 and 2, which will also see a huge demand for cargo barges. HSCL expects to bag orders for manufacturing barges.
"Besides revenue for the port, the development will help boost employment and maritime activity in the state," a senior official of the state Finance department said.
"The ground-breaking ceremony of the construction of the new yard at HCSL was performed by Cochin Shipyard Ltd CMD Madhu S Nair at Nazirgunge dock in the presence of KoPT chairman Vinit Kumar and deputy chairman of KoPT S Balaji Arunkumar," a press statement said.
The joint venture of HCSL is an initiative of the Ministry of Shipping into the shipbuilding and ship repair services for inland and coastal waterways sector. HCSL project was also presented in the Bengal Global Business summit held a few days back and notable recognition and encouragement was received from the Bengal government. CSL is the only shipyard in India that can build up to 1,10,000 DWT (deadweight tonnes) with a track record of making tankers, bulk carriers, port crafts and passenger vessels.
