October 23, 2020: The Syama Prasad Mookerjee Port, previously known as the Kolkata Port Trust, introduced advanced amphibious boats to reduce the recurring costs, Minister of State for Shipping Mansukh Mandaviya said on Wednesday. Posting a video from his official Twitter handle, Mandaviya lauded the Trust officials for diligently implementing the key project that would cut the Trust’s operational expenses. The minister said that the introduction of the all-weather boats will increase efficiency. It should be noted that the idea of the amphibious boats was part of the 2018 challenge that saw entries from various officers. The Trust, which recently launched a new logo as part of the 150-year celebrations, is the only riverine port in the country.
In a video shared on the micro-blogging site by the minister, the Trust officials spoke extensively about the importance of the high-speed, all-surface boats. Every vessel destined for the docks at the Syama Prasad Mookerjee Port needs a pilot to navigate the 272-km-long marine channel. For the last two decades, especially during the winter season, the pilots stationed at the Sagar island take a 400-meter-long bamboo walkway and a dinghy to pilot vessels that would then take them to the ship approaching the docks.
For most days, it would be a smooth operation. But during rough weather, the officers used a pilot vessel named ‘Ma Ganga’ to help the approaching vessel is navigating the channel up to the docks. The cost of a floating vessel had increased the recurring expenses of the Trust.
Using amphibious boats as a pilot vessel was the winner of 2018 in-house competition. The trials of the all-surface boats were conducted in Chennai waters. The result is that now the port in Kolkata has finally introduced the boats and plans to induct advanced versions in near future. This would help the port in reducing the cost as it would not need to use ‘Ma Ganga’ – the floating pilot for the port-bound vessels. Kolkata Port Trust renamed as Syama Prasad Mookerjee Port by Prime Minister Narendra Modi has been East and North-East India’s entry point for the world.
Source: Financial Express
