March 28, 2009

West Bengal offers Nayachara Island for KoPT dredging


Kolkata, Mar 26 (PTI): The West Bengal government today offered Nayachar Island for disposal of silt for dredging the navigational channels of Kolkata Port Trust to overcome the dumping ground problem.At a high level meeting in New Delhi today, the state government had offered Nayachar Island but Dredging Corporation of India and KoPT officials said it was not a viable option due to technical reasons.

The high level meeting in New Delhi was held by a senior official in the Cabinet Secretariat in presence of Union Shipping secretary, West Bengal Chief Secretary and KoPT Chairman to discuss port issues, sources said. A separate meeting would be held at the state secretariat with DCI and KoPT to resolve the issue, they said.

It was decided in the meeting that 10 additional pilots would be provided to Haldia Dock Complex shortly to tide over the pilot crisis, sources said. The meeting also attempted to know and find solution to long wait of vessels at the sandheads.

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