The Dredging Corporation of India (DCI) was requested by the Kolkata Port Trust to provide an additional bigger-dredger for Haldia port to remove the siltation that has choked the two channels - Auckland and Jellingham and reduced navigability. Currently, seven dredgers are working at the two channels.

A top-level delegation comprising senior officials of Kolkata Port Trust and two DCI officials identified one trailer suction dredger during their visit to China, But, the question is that it would take not less than three months to complete the formalities and arrive in India. An official of the Kolkata Port Trust on Thursday (November 27) said that the big dredger which Trust was expecting to get from China would not be available before February next year.

Marine department director A.K. Bagchi said that the improvement of draught signifies that the average parcel load per vessel would increase by 400-600 tonnes depending on the type of vessel. And, once that happen, it is expected that the Dock Complex would be able to accomplish last year's traffic level of 43 million tonnes.