The Central Inland Water Corporation (CIWTC) must deploy its barges to Kolkata port for ferrying cargo from large ships, which cannot call at the port. This suggestion was reportedly made by the Rajya Sabha Standing Committee on Port and Shipping in its report.
According to the committee, the port must follow the operation model of Shanghai port in China. The Chinese port, which suffers from low draft like Kolkata port, cannot receive large vessels. Therefore, such vessels offload their cargo into barges in sea for onward transportation to the port.
The Rajya Sabha, which is headed by a Marxist member of the Upper House, is believed to have suggested this model for Kolkata port.
Meanwhile, it may be noted that Kolkata Port not only suffers from low draft, the management of the port has been unable to implement some of its key projects. From time to time several proposals such as setting up satellite ports at Kulpi (South 24 Parganas district), Rasulpur (East Midnapur district), development of Haldia Dock II, construction of container terminal and Diamond Harbour and construction of deep sea port at Sagar Island have been mooted from different quarters to save Kolkata port, but none of them have taken off as yet.
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