The Cochin Port Trust has firmed up plans to use the sludge and sand generated from dredging operations in its shipping channel instead of dumping it back in the outer seas.
A statement issued by the port authority said that around 70,000 cubic metres of material is generated daily through dredging operations. The dredging operations are carried out to maintain the depth for the International Container Transshipment Terminal.
The port deploys hopper suction method for extracting the sludge and it is now dumped about 20 km off the Kochi coast in the sea. However, the material can be used for landfill and building purposes once the sand content in the sludge is separated, the press release said.