CCEA gives nod to acquire six Cutter Suction Dredging Units

New Delhi, Oct 9 (UNI) The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) today gave its approval for acquisition six units of Cutter Suction Dredging Units by the Inland Waterways Authority of India (IWAI) along with workboats and accommodation boats for national Waterway No 1 and National Waterway No 2 at an estimated cost of Rs 113.45 crore.

The dredging requirement assessed for National Waterway No 1 (Haldia to Allahabad - 1620 kms) is 15 lakh cubic meter per annum with a total of shoals length of 64.0 kms, Finance Minister P Chidambaram told reporters after a CCEA meet.

The volume of work necessitates use of 11 units of which four are available with IWAI. Hence, there is a balance requirement of seven units of which only two are proposed to be procured at present. Thereafter, the requirement of dredgers for the stretch Haldia to Varanasi (1383 kms) will be fully met.

The dredging requirement assessed for National Waterway No 2 (Dhubri to Sadiya - 891 kms) is 14 lakh cubic meter per annum with a total shoal length of 45.0 kms. This volume of work will require eight unit of dredging units out of which one is already available with IWAI on NW-2. Hence, there is a balance requirement of seven units of which four are to be acquired.

After this acquisition, the requirement of dredgers upto Dibrugarh (768 kms) will be met fully.

The delivery of all the Cutter Suction Dredging Units along with workboats and accommodation boats will be received within 22 months from the date of award of contract to shipbuilders.

UNI