The upcoming Rs 450-crore terminal in West Bengal’s Balagarh and
the proposed night navigation facility at the Kolkata Dock System
will enhance productivity of the Syama
Prasad Mookherjee Port by 30 per cent, according to some
important official sources.
The SMP, earlier known as the Kolkata Port,
is working closely with
IIT-Chennai and Belgium’s
Port of Antwerp to roll
out night navigation over the next three months, he said.
The Balagarh terminal is expected to be operational in
the next 24 months.
The Balagarh Island lies about 85 km upstream
from Kolkata port’s main docks on the Inland Waterway-1 in Hooghly
district.
“The upcoming terminal along with night
navigation will significantly enhance the port’s productivity. The initial plan
was to introduce night navigation until Uluberia, but the port has now decided
to extend it until Diamond Harbour, ” SMP Deputy Chairman (Kolkata) Samrat Rahi told.
At
present, the night navigation system is available till Haldia. “It will improve the turnaround time of ships from
Kolkata docks by 30 per cent and a capex of Rs 17 crore will be required, Rahi
said.
The port will also introduce “virtual buoys” to guide
vessels along the 130-km distance between Sagar Island and the Kidderpore Dock
System (KDS), and a digital 3D simulation of its docks will be used for night
navigation with the aid of artificial intelligence, he said.
This
can save at least USD 10,000 for a ship in retention damages, according to
officials.