Dredging is a perennial problem area for India’s ports

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Perhaps there should be a section in the British Library entitled: “The perennial problems of India’s ports”, so numerous do they seem. In this case, it’s the dredging of approach channels and depths alongside quays, which are subject to regular silting in India. Under the current structure of contracts with dredging firms, “as soon as the contractor dredges the quantity or volume agreed upon, he will stop work and take the money, irrespective of whether the depth planned by the port is achieved. The port then has to hire another contractor to do the balance work, causing delays and incurring extra costs”. The Shipping Ministry has promised a review of the system.