KAKINADA: The dry dock in Kakinada Port has been lying unused since the past 10 years due to its dilapidated condition, even though the government sanctioned Rs 2 crore for its upkeep five months ago. The dry dock, established during British times, enables repairs to be carried out on steel barges, tugs and smaller vessels, with even vessels from Chennai coming here for the purpose There was a crying need for it to start functioning again as oil exploration was gathering momentum off the Kakinada coast, trade sources said.
“It should be revived immediately in view of the upcoming port activity and will be very useful for the shipping trade,” said a shipping company proprietor Mr Alisha. According to sources, there are nearly 89 steel barges and more than 50 tugs at Kakinada port. They should be repaired and cleaned once in two years and better use should be made of the port. “When the dry dock was functioning, we used it well. Now, the jetties or tugs have to be lifted to the shore for repair and cleaning, which is a tough and costlier affair,” said Kakinada Port Steel Barges Welfare Association president Burra Aunbau.
He said that the government should undertake repairs on the port on a war footing. Others in the shipping trade brought the issue to the notice of newly appointed port officer for Kakinada Mr K. Sridharma Sasta. Sources said that the government was losing Rs 4 crore to Rs 5 crore in revenue annually due to non-functioning of the dry dock. Mr Sasta said that he would pursue the matter, taking the necessary steps for the port’s development with the resources available.
