Dredging to be completed by year's end:

Magampura will soon supersede Colombo port - SLPA chairman

By MAnjula FERNANDO

Refuting Opposition claims including the 'unmovable rock at the Harbour mouth' which they claim to have stopped construction on Magampura Port project, the Sri Lanka Ports Authority (SLPA) Chairman, Dr. Priyath Bandu Wickrema said the dredging work of the channel will be completed before the end of the year.

He said the new port with its modern facilities and services will supersede Colombo Port within few years into becoming one of the mega ports in the world.

Excerpts of the interview with Sri Lanka Ports Authority (SLPA), Chairman, Dr. Priyath B WickremA:

Q: How do you respond to the opposition claims in Parliament that the Hambantota Port can never be developed into an international port and it was an election gimmick or a publicity stunt by the Government ?

A: In the recent past there have been several allegations on the Magampura Mahinda Rajapaksa Port. These allegations seemed to have been based on the following concerns related to one another.

Insufficient depth of the harbour

Inability to obtain an insurance for the port

Non-availability of a clear map

Non-arrival of ships to the port

Presence of huge irremovable rock mass at harbour mouth

Dangers to the structures and the civil life of Hambantota town in the event of blasting the said rock mass

Requirement of large additional loan to remove the rock

Risk of wasting millions of dollars

Time to time these allegations either appeared in newspapers, electronic media or spread as rumours. The real facts on the cost of the project, including additional costs experiencing due to quantity variations of hard and soft material in the basin and the channel has been revealed by me as the Chairman of SLPA in various forums. However, these facts have been either misinterpreted or led to some wrong conclusions.

Q: What is the progress of its development ? What will take place in the future?

A: The claim that there is a huge irremovable rock mass at the harbour mouth is far beyond the truth. The construction works of Magampura Mahinda Rajapaksa Port commenced in January 2008 as a green field port in the vicinity of Karagam lewaya. Excavation work comprised two major components; Basin excavation and Channel dredging. The Basin is separated by the Channel from the A2 road around 235 km post. Both excavating the Basin in the Karagam lewaya and dredging works of Channel from the sea side, approximately 1km away from the Basin, commenced simultaneously. From then onwards both activities moved ahead in parallel independent to each other.

However, dredging work had to be stopped during the periods of monsoons. Dredging comprised with soft and hard material requiring blasting. By the ceremonial opening on 18th November 2011, excavation of Basin had been fully completed (up to -17m) together with most of the land side construction work, while an area of approximately 10,000 m2 (100 m by 100m area) in the Channel was left without dredging to the intended depth. The balance area of the channel had been dredged up to intended depth, -16m, at the time.

It was decided to ceremonially open the port on this date with a channel dredging progress of 96%, this being an auspicious day for such opening.

The dredging work continued after the opening day. It was again suspended in May 2011 due to monsoons. About 0.4% (50m x 70m) of the total volume of the dredging work of the channel is still remaining.

This work would commence after the monsoon at the end of September and is expected to be completed within 45 days.

Therefore, the excavation work remaining at present (including rock requiring blasting) is not an irremovable rock mass but continuation of the similar work performed during the port construction.

Preliminary arrangements for the construction of Phase II of the Port have now being made with the signing of the agreements completed. Phase II of the Project includes 2,137 m long berth to accommodate 6 ships at once with quay wall depth - 17m.

In addition to that an artificial Island will be made on the sea using excavated soil. Flyover bridge, Naval Terminal Roads and Yards, Port Handling Equipment are some of key items in the Phase II and it is expected to be completed by the end of 2014.

SLPA has floated a Request of Proposal (RFP) scheme and attracted 27 entrepreneurs interested in developing business ventures within the port. Out of the above 14 of them have been identified and short listed. The Cabinet has given approval for three business ventures, investments amounting over US $ 600 million. On signing the agreement with these investors they will start constructing their factories and so on which will also create business in terms of project cargo, initially. The balance short listed investments will also be considered gradually.

After the closing date of the RFP more entrepreneurs inquired possibility of establishing industries in Port premises. Considering the demand, SLPA is indenting to float another RFP to accommodate those entrepreneurs. This will gain large income to the Port in leasing the land, royalty, cargo handling charges, Port charges etc.

A ship repair yard is also planned to establish within the port premises in an area of 48 hectares of land. As the demand of the investors is high another RFP will also be planned to float soon.

Q: You said despite accusations maritime operators regard the port as a safe place.

Very recently an International Floating Library Ship, MV Logos Hope called at the Magampura Mahinda Rajapaksa Port. The total crew of the ship around 300 belong to nearly 50 countries.

The Ship was berthed at the Port for nearly four days. Another International cruise is scheduled to arrive at the Port in early November.

Q: How do you respond to the critics who say this port will have serious issues with regard to maritime insurance?

Ports are not insured as a whole though various plants or machinery may be insured against various perils. Colombo Port has never obtained an insurance of that nature and ships in international voyage on the other hand need to be insured against various risks.

Ships entering Colombo Port were imposed an additional insurance cover or subject to high insurance premiums at the time Sri Lanka faced serious security threats from LTTE. However, it is important to have Admiralty Chart indicating the location and hydro graphical data creating an identity for the port. These charts are published by UK Hydrographer of the Navy.

The National Aquatic Resources Research and Development Agency (NARA) liaises with UK Hydrographer of the Navy and get these new charts or annual updates. NARA is in the process of collecting the relevant data from the Ports Authority for sending to UK Hydrographer of the Navy on completion of the balance 0.4% of dredging work at the channel. However, even without published Admiralty chart six international ships have already been to the Magampura port.

Q: How long will it take to develop this Port to the standard of Colombo harbour or any international Port ?

A: The Colombo Port has been conceptually in operation since 15th Century with starting of anchoring vessels approximately at the present location. However, it had taken hundreds of years to transform this port facility into its present status.

On the contrary Magampura port, a green field brand new port, with berths of -17m depth & 1,200m length, substantial backupyard and utility buildings including fourteen storied administration building has been constructed within 39 months.

Cranes will be installed within 12 months. Marketing the port without constructing is hardly possible as the construction takes longer time and there could be many reasons hindering construction even with the best plans on boards. For example, the Hambantota and Colombo South Port was discussed for years without commencing any construction work.

Having constructed Magampura Port with the above facilities will take some time to familiarise among the world of shipping and port even with the strenuous marketing in position. Unlike small business ventures ports will not be fully operational just after opening and this aspect was taken into account. As Sri Lanka Ports Authority has taken some initiative in this respect long before and this port will be expected to become a busy port within a short time. Setting up industries within the harbour premises is already in progress.

Q: Sri Lanka is vying to become the maritime hub of South Asia, what is in the pipeline to fulfil this dream?

Geographical location is the most important factor behind the development of Port in Sri Lanka. To grasp this advantageous location Government had decided to develop all the existing Ports in Sri Lanka as well as Green Fields Ports such as the Magampura Mahinda Rajapaksa Port.

The Colombo Port with the new development of Colombo South Port, is aiming to develop as mega container transshipment hub. Meanwhile all the actions had been taken to modernise the present existing Port of Colombo. The Colombo South Port is in Progress.

As no sufficient space at Colombo Port for port related industries, and a bit far away from the main shipping root compared to the Hambantota, Magampura Mahinda Rajapaksa Port at Phase I, it is targeting to cater for Port related industries, as a service Port providing oil bunkering facility including offshore bunkering , ship channelling etc. Since a huge land within the Port is allocated for ship repairing/building yard and Phase II of the Project providing sufficient yards and equipments for container handling, within few years Hambantota will become one of the mega ports in the world.

With the Development of Colombo Port, Sri Lanka as a whole will become a maritime hub in South Asia.

Q: Why do you think the opposition single out the Hambantota harbour to attack the government, can there be something legitimate in their accusations?

A: The Hambantota Port is one of the largest multi billion projects launched by the government in the history of Sri Lanka.

Where there is a port town, province and the region gets developed. In good old days people other than the Eastern Province had not heard about 'Oluvil'. But today it is a different story and Oluvil is included in geography maps.

With the Port of Mahinda Rajapaksa at Magampura, the whole Hambantota District, including Embilipitiya, Tissamaharama, Rathnapura, Matara etc., will be developed. Even now most of the roads, are being developed as roads with 4 lane traffic, with reservation to 6 lanes.

The Sooriyawewa Cricket Ground, Mattala Air Port, extension of Railway line from Matara via Hambantota, extension of Southern Highway are in the implementation stage. In addition, if Hambantota wins the bid to host the Common Wealth Games 2018, the scale of development in the District will be unimaginable. It has been planned to set up International Universities in Hambantota.

Development of Hambantota begins with the port. This could be a reason for the opposition to single this out to attack the Government.