Following poor response from bidders in the initial global tender, the Gujarat Maritime Board (GMB) plans to conduct a road show for the Rs 115 crore dredging project in the Gulf of Khambhat.
The board wants to dredge the area in order to facilitate the proposed ro-ro ferry service linking Ghogha in Bhavnagar to Dahej. An official statement from the GMB shows that the channel’s length will be about 4,300 metre at Ghogha and 6,000 metre in Dahej.
The proposed road show is aimed at promoting the dredging project and attract more bidders. Earlier this month, the board floated a second tender. The road show will begin in Mumbai on June 5, reports suggest. Essar Group, which secured the EPC contract for the Rs 400-crore ro-ro service, has already started work on the project.
The travelling time between Ghogha and Dehej is expected to decline over four hours because of the ro-ro service. Roll-on-roll off vessels carry both passengers and loaded vehicles.
By road, it will take seven hours to reach Bhavnagar from Bharuch whereas the ferry takes less than three hours. The proposed dredging work includes creation of new “channels” in the Gulf of Khambhat that will be about 100 metre in width.
The dredging is expected to take six months. The contract will also include maintenance dreading after two years. The channels will have a draft of about five metre. The vessels that will use these channels are designed to carry passengers and vehicles of all types with special focus on trucks and cars.
Leave a Reply
You must be logged in to post a comment.