Maritime Directory

Visakhapatnam, India

The Dredging Corporation of India (DCI), a Government of India enterprise, was established in 1976. The government has a stake of 98.56 per cent in the company. DCI is engaged in the activities of capital & maintenance dredging for the creation of new harbours, deepening of existing harbours and maintenance of draught navigation channels at various major & minor ports, desiltation for lakes, ponds reservoirs and inland channels. The company owns a fleet of 10 dredgers. DCI provides integrated dredging services to the major and minor ports of the country and abroad. DCI has been awarded "mini ratna" status by the Government of India thereby empowering it with enhanced autonomy with regard to capital expenditure, establishment of joint ventures, overseas offices and technology alliance. The turnover of company for FY1999-2000 is around Rs. 3,320 million.

Zwijndrecht, Belgium

As part of the DEME Group (Dredging, Environmental and Marine Engineering), DI is a worldwide acting marine and dredging contractor.

Navi Mumbai, Maharashtra, India

Jawaharlal Nehru Port Trust Jawaharlal Nehru Port (JNP), the youngest and most modern major port of India, was commissioned in 1989 with a land area of 2,500 hectares. The port was initially envisaged to relieve traffic off the Mumbai port and serve as a hub port for the Western region. With highly automated operations and developed infrastructure for bulk and container traffic, JNPT has emerged as the gateway port to modern India and has become the most favoured port to the maritime trade of Western region. The all weather tidal port is located in between the islands of Nhava and Sheva on the West Coast of the country and shares the common harbour channel with Mumbai port and Nhava Sheva International Container Terminal. The vast back up area of the port is ideally suited for future maritime requirements. The water front infrastructure stretched over 54 sq. Kms, JNPT has strong potential to develop additional facilities as per demand. Future plan JNPT has already drawn up developmental projects and accordingly started working. The port has planned to become the first container transhipment hub of the country, attracting fourth or fifth generation mother vessels by deepening the approach channel at an estimated investment of Rs 6.0 billion within the next three years. Jawaharlal Nehru Port authority has earmarked Rs 4.8 billion for development of infrastructure facilities of 'B' and 'C' class chemicals in the tank farm area, additional port crafts, infrastructure facilities for vehicle exporters, warehouses for storage of dry bulk cargo, cold storage facility and container stacking yard. It is also contemplating the idea of developing additional berths for handling of agri-products, ores, vehicles, steel scrap and sponge iron products.

Tuticorin, India

Tuticorin Port was incorporated in 1974 as the tenth major port of the country. The port is situated about 540 Km South West of Chennai with Sri Lanka on the South-East direction and very close to the East-West International sea routes. Tuticorin port, developed as an artificial deep-sea harbour with 400 hectares of protected water area, has come up as one of the major centre for coastal shipping and serves to the states of Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh and parts of Kerala. Tuticorin port, which was the centre for maritime trade and pearl fishery for more than a century, had gone through the hands of Portuguese and Dutch before coming under the control of East India Company of Britain. The British company had developed the natural harbour port and connected it with the Railway. It was declared as a minor anchorage port in 1868. In the pre-independence era, the port had witnessed a sprouting trade by handling a wide range of cargo with the neighbouring countries as well as with other coastal ports of the country. With the changing scenario of maritime trade, the Union Government constructed a new harbour and the port had come up as the 10th Major Port on 11th July, 1974. In 1979, the erstwhile anchorage port / minor port was merged with the newly developed harbour to form an integrated port. The integrated Tuticorin Port presently comprises of two operational wings - 'Zone - A' representing the new Major Port while 'Zone - B' representing the old anchorage port. Future plan With the increasing use of containers in sea trade, Tuticorin Port, having the locational advantages, strives to become the container transhipment hub of South India and accordingly planned to develop the port infrastructure and other port facilities. Deepening of approach channel and harbour basin to accommodate 10.7 metres draught vessels, construction of cargo berth No.-7, augmentation of water supply facilities, construction of shallow water berth at 7.0 metres level are the major projects taken up by the port. The proposed 'Sethu Samudram Ship Canal Project', which envisages cutting a canal for passage of ships from Gulf of Mannar to Palk Straits, would connect the Tuticorin port to the other Indian ports on the East Coast directly. The project is likely to facilitate the development of Tuticorin as a regional hub for South Asia competing with Colombo Port.