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Chunnelattheendofporttunnel

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Chunnelattheendofporttunnel
Hopedrifts,underwater
SambitSaha

CENTREKEENTOLIFTHURDLEBEFOREBENGALPORTPLAN

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Calcutta,March21:ManyacastlehasbeenbuiltintheairinBengalbutthistimeitneed
notbeso.
Thecountry'sfirstrailandroadlinkbeneathariverbed,usingimmersedtunnelling
technologythat'sprettycommonplaceinEuropebutnotinAsia,couldbebuiltinBengalif
theCentrepressesaheadwithitsstatedthrustoninfrastructure.
TherailandroadtunnelisbeingplannedbetweenthenortherntipofSagarIslandand
KakdwipinSouth24ParganasundertheHooghlyinastretchcalledMuriGanga.Kakdwip
isaround90kmfromCalcutta.
Theideaofburrowingundertheriverbedtobuilda3kmlongroadandraillinkiscriticalto
theoperationoftheproposeddeepwaterportonSagarIsland.Fortheport,ajointventure
hasbeenformedbetweentheCentreandtheBengalgovernment.
Thejointventurewillactasalandlord.Theprivateplayerthatagreestosharethemost
revenuewiththejointventurewillgetthecontracttobuildtheport.
However,investorinteresthasbeensomewhatlukewarmalthoughtheSagarportproject
wasconceivedadecadeago.Privatepartieshavebalkedattheideaofbuilding
infrastructuretotakethecargoacrosstherivertothemainland.
ThecostofcreatingtheconnectivitylinkshasbeenestimatedatonethirdoftheSagarport
projectcostthatwaspeggedatRs11,921crorein2012andislikelytogoup.
Thisiswherethetunnelplanassumessignificance.IftheCentre,whoseCalcuttaPortTrust
(CPT)holdstherightstothewaterway,takestheinitiativetobuildthelink,itwillremovethe
mainhurdlestandinginthewayofaportthatcanleadtofarreachingchangesinBengal.
Athreeport(Kidderpore,HaldiaandtheoneproposedonSagar)systemcouldwinBengal
backsomeofthelostglorydatingbackto1870whenthefirstportwasestablishedin
Calcutta.Theideaistowinbackthecargothatithasbeenlosingouttocompetingports
likeParadip,VisakhapatnamandDhamra.

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Chunnelattheendofporttunnel
OpinionexistsintheUnionshippingministrythatpriorityshouldbegiventotheconnectivity
projecttobreathelifeintotheportplan."Unlessthereisvisibleprogressonconnectivity,
potentialinvestorsintheportprojectareunlikelytocommitfunds,"anofficialsaid.
ShippingministerNitinGadkariisgunghoovertheunderrivertunnellingproposal.
Gadkari,whowasknownas"flyoverminister"inMaharashtrabecauseofhissingleminded
focusoninfrastructureprojects,hasturnedouttobeavotaryofundergroundroadprojects.
Ifeverythinggoesaccordingtoplan,thefeasibilityoftheSagartunnelisexpectedtobe
decidedbyAugustthisyearand,oncecleared,itcanbebuiltintwotothreeyears.
Immersedtunneltechnologyinvolvesthecreationofhollowconcreteboxesthatare
carefullyplacedbeneaththeriverbed.Theboxesarethenboltedtoeachothertocreatethe
tunnel.

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Iftheplanisimplemented,itisexpectedtoputSagar'sroadandrailinfrastructureonapar
withsomeofthebusiestportsintheworldlikeAntwerpandTokyo.Inplaceslike
Rotterdam,AntwerpandAmsterdam,suchtunnelswerecreatedseveraldecadesago.
Theshippingministryismulling"beneaththeriverbed"connectivitytoskirtatangleof
thornyissuesthrownupbytheoriginalplantobuildadoubledeckerbridgethatwould
haveprovidedtheroadandraillinksfromSagarIslandtoKakdwip.
Inakeydecisionthatwillhelpacceleratetheconnectivitypartoftheproject,theshipping
ministryhasdecidedtosplittheprojectintotwoparts.
"TheportwillbedevelopedunderthePPP(publicprivatepartnership)modewherethe
privatepartnerwillputinalltheinvestment.Thegovernment'scontributionwillbeinthe
formofgrantinglanduserightsandtheabilitytoharnessthepotentialoftheriverchannel.
Therailroadconnectivitywillbetakenupseparately,"R.P.S.Kahlon,thechairmanofCPT,
toldTheTelegraph.CPTisthenodalagencyforthecreationofthenewport.
Theprivatepartnerfortheportprojectwillstumpupmostofthemoneyrequiredintheform
ofequitycapitalanddebt.Thegovernmentcanforkoutmoneytofundthesocalled
"viabilitygap"thedifferencebetweenthemoneythattheprivateinvestorcanraiseforthe
projectfromallsourcesandthesumrequiredtocompleteit.
"Iforeseeaviabilitygapfundingof20percentthatwillcomefromtheCentre(forthe
tunnel).Thestategovernmentisalsolikelytochipinwith5percent,"Kahlonadded.

mebelkart.com

TheconnectivitycouldbefullyfundedbytheCentreifthetunnelwasfoundtobe
commerciallyunviable,accordingtoA.K.Mehera,thechiefengineerofCPT.
Theoriginalplanforastackofoverbridgesacrossabusywaterwayposesacoupleof
problems:first,itwillentailafairlylargeacquisitionoflandoneithersidetoprovidethe
desiredelevationforthebridges.
Second,overbridgesseverelyrestrictthesizeofvesselsthatcanusethewaterway.Onthis
riverstretch,there'sanaddedproblembecausevesselsusethewaterwaytotransport
goodstoportsinBangladesh.

AnandabazarPatrikaEpaper
Ebela.in

That'soneofthereasonswhytheplantobuildrailandroadlinksbeneaththeriverbed
cameup.Theadvantageisthatalotlesslandwillneedtobeacquiredatbothendsofthe
riverbank.
Initialestimatessuggestthataround210acresofprivatelandneedstobeacquiredtobuild
theoverbridges.Meherasaidthetunnelswouldnotrequirealongapproachandhencethe
landrequirementwouldbealotless.
Buttheflipsideisthatthecostcouldballoon.Thecostoftheoverbridgeswasestimatedat
Rs3,421crore.Railandroadlinksbuiltusingtheimmersedtunneltechnologywillbealot
higher.
Gadkari,whoattendedtheBengalGlobalBusinessSummitinJanuarywhereCPTsigned
anagreementwiththestategovernmenttoimplementtheportproject,hasdecidedtocarry
outadetailedstudytoexploretheoptionofusingimmersedtunneltechnologytolinkthe
twobanksoftheriver.
FortheSagarproject,theNationalHighwayandInfrastructureDevelopmentCorporation
hasbeenengagedtosuggestthebestpossibletechnoeconomicoptionforrailroad
connectivity,includingappropriaterivercrossingmethodology,byAugust.
ThegovernmentagencyislikelytoseekthehelpofTunnelEngineeringConsultants(TEC),
aNetherlandsbasedfirmthatspecialisesinimmersedtunneltechnology.
TECisapermanentjointventurepartnershipbetweentwoleadinginternational
consultants:RoyalHaskoningDHVandWitteveen+Bos,whichareregardedasexpertsin
undergroundprojects.
RoyalHaskoningDHVhasasubsidiaryinIndiawithitsheadofficeinNoidaandis
believedtohavealreadymadeapresentationontheimmersedtunneltechnologyandhow
itcouldbebeneficialfortheSagarportproject.Companyofficialscouldnotbereachedto
confirmthedevelopment.
Butwilltheideaofcreatingroadandraillinksbelowtheriverbedfly?
Alotwilldependonthecosts.
"Whateverthemode,itisn'tpossibletobuildtheportonSagarIslandwithoutconnectivity.

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Chunnelattheendofporttunnel
Thatisalsoalongstandingdemandmadebytheover2lakhpeoplewhoinhabitthe
island,"saidanofficial.
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