Gmb To Set Up Rs 165 Crore Vehicle Traffic Service In Kutch

The Gujarat Maritime Board (GMB) plans to set up a state-of-the-art vehicle traffic service (VTS) in the Gulf of Kutch at a total estimated cost of Rs 165 crore. The project is to be implemented in collaboration with the department of lighthouses and lightships and the Kandla Port Trust. GMB also plans to introduce vessel traffic management systems (VTMS) in the Hazira-Magdalla channel to boost navigational safety of vessels.

After recording an all-time high growth of 13 per cent in the last fiscal, GMB has decided to lay emphasis on infrastructure development.

During the last fiscal, the board handled a record cargo of 82.54 million tonne, registering a growth of about 13 per cent over the previous year. "It is pertinent to note that in preceding two years, the total tonnage handled by GMB represented the highest traffic among all ports in India," said a senior official of the board. "We are coming up with lot of reform plans to strengthen infrastructure. These include major projects of VTS in the Gulf of Kutch and VTMS in the Hazira-Magdalla channel," he told Business Standard.

Against an operating income of Rs 162.39 crore in the year 2000-01, the board earned an operating income of Rs 176.22 crore in the last fiscal, registering a growth of 8.5 per cent over the preceding year. "The operating expenditure of the board has reduced to 73.61 crore from Rs 84.03 crore in the year 2000-01 which indicated the reduction by more than 14 per cent over the preceding year. Thus GMB has earned more than Rs 100 crore of operating profit in the last fiscal year," said the GMB official.

"We also have been actively pursuing the plan to form an independent regulating body for the state port sector. GMB has also hired Deloitte Haskins and Sells, an internationally renowned consulting firm, to address the issue of organisational restructuring with an objective to bring in enhanced efficiency and competitiveness in the organisational functions," said the official, requesting anonymity.

GMB also has been making safety and security measures developed in Alang Ship Recycling Yard, though it has succeeded in reducing the number of accidents this year. "Our efforts to prevent accidents in the year have brought encouraging results as the number of accidents per lakh light displacement tonnage (LDT) at Alang in 2001-02 has reduced to 0.78 from 2.18 in previous fiscal. The number of deaths per lakh LDT over the same period also has reduced from 1.12 to 044," said the GMB official.