The Hindu : Karnataka News : Poor infrastructure hampers port

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Friday, Apr 22, 2005

Karnataka

Karnataka - Others

Poor infrastructure hampers port

Correspondent

Resettlement of families living near Baithkol is the need of the hour, says port director

A long queue: Lorries waiting for their turn to unload goods at the Karwar port.

KARWAR: The activities of the Karwar Port, which has a natural harbour at Baithkol Cove, have been growing each year. According to the port director, R. Mohan, 169 ships called on the port this year. He said that cargo handling had increased by 116 per cent and revenue was 112 per cent more than last year. However, the infrastructure in the port has not improved to match its activities.

There is not enough space to stack the cargo arriving at the port. This has resulted in traffic hazards with hundreds of lorries lining up along the National Highway near the port waiting for their turn to load or unload goods. The dredging of the channel leading to the port has not been carried out for several years. At present, the port has berthing facility for only two ships.

Rehabilitation centres

It was in 1970 when the plan was mooted to develop Karwar into an all-weather port and 113 acres was acquired in Baithkol and Aligadde, the port officer, Swamy, said. Four rehabilitation centres at Sonarawada, Shejwada, Chittakula, and Kodibag were established to relocate 375 families from Baithkol and sites were allotted. However, their resettlement has not taken place. The rehabilitation committee, headed by the district in-charge Minister, has not met for several years.

Capt. Mohan said that he has been constantly writing to the Deputy Commissioner, who is also the member-secretary of the committee, to take steps to evict the families who have occupied the port area in Baithkol. The district administration is yet to take any action in this regard. Most of the families have already built their houses on the sites allotted to them. But the number of families has increased to about 1,000 over the years. They are now asking for more compensation to move out of the port area.

Seventeen acres of land belonging to the port in Cemetery beach, near Baithkol, was given to the Indian Navy as part of the Sea Bird Naval Project. The Navy was expected to reclaim the area from the sea and hand it over to the port authorities.

Capt. Mohan said the reclamation cost had come up to Rs. 24.75 crores. If the Navy is prepared to give this amount to the port authorities, they can reclaim the land.

The land in Aligadde has been taken over by the Navy. He said that the second phase of development of the port has been pending for many years and was proposed to be implemented with private sector participation. The second phase envisages the extension of existing wharf by 200 metres to provide berthing facility for two more ships, extension of the existing breakwater by 250 metres, and deepening the channel by 12 metres. The phase is estimated to cost Rs. 200 crores. Private agencies are prepared to invest on the port development. Techsas, a private agency, has been asked to identify prospective investors and prepare a report for the development of the second phase. The Government should take a decision in this regard, he said.

Regarding the traffic problems caused by lorries carrying iron ore, Capt. Mohan said that the completion of the Hubli-Ankola railway line should solve the problem. He said that construction of a truck terminal is essential to regulate the movement of lorries. The National Highway authorities have been asked to widen the road near the port, he added.

Health hazards

He also said that the dumping of iron ore near the staff quarters of the port department has been causing health problems to the residents. The quarters should be relocated and a survey should be conducted to identity the area for relocation. The resettlement of the families living in the port area at Baithkol is the need of the hour, he said.

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