CHATTOGRAM, Dec 21: Test berthing of 10-metres draft ships will start at jetties of Chittagong Port next week following recommendations made by a British company which submitted to the authority findings of its study on the river Karnaphuli last week.
UK's HR Waling Ford Company submitted to the Chittagong Port Authority the final report of its three-year survey styled "Karnaphuli Hydrologic and Hydraulic Study" with a dozen recommendations.
The UK survey firm, which started its study in November 2019, made 12 recommendations including steps for berthing of 200-metre long and 10-metre draft ships at the port's jetties, stopping pollution of Karnaphuli water, enchroachments upon the river, construction of structures on the water body and its banks, saving eco-system of the river, including its flora and fauna, and carry out dredging regularly to main navigability.
The report also suggested developing port facilities on the southern side of the river at Anwara Upazila where the Bangabandhu dual lane tunnel under the river Karnaphuli has ended. The UK team recommended expanding the Chittagong Port to the southern part of Chattogram district.
Such survey on the river has been carried out after 61 years as the first one was conducted in 1961 during the Pakistani period, CPA officials said.
CPA Chief Hydrographer Commander Arifur Rahman said they received the report and according to the findings, necessary measures to maintain navigability of the port channel will be in place.
When contacted, CPA Secretary Omar Faruk also acknowledged that the British company submitted its final report last week. "The port authority will start test berthing of vessels with 10m draft and 200m in length at jetties of the port from next week," he added.
Echoing him, CPA Chairman Rear Admiral M Shahjahan said, the HR Waling Ford Company was deployed in 2019 to conduct the survey which was hampered twice amid the coronavirus pandemic. As it filed the report after completing the survey steps will be in taken according to the recommendations made by the UK firm, he added.
The main purposes of the survey included estimation of siltation, pollution, encroachment, number of installations on the river's banks, dredging and morphological condition of the river, using of the water body for economic purposes, surveying the port channel's navigational future, limitation of the river's navigability, management of waste and garbage, hydrological connection with jetties and the Bay Terminal, etc.
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