The Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways in order to bring the concept of ‘Waste to Wealth’ in the dredging sector has issued addendum to the Dredging Guidelines for Major Ports 2021. This will make provision for use of dredging material for beneficial purposes in bidding process with necessary clearance from the authorities.

The Dredging Guidelines for Major Ports were announced in 2021 to ascertain estimation of project cost, based on acceptable international standards by Major Port or schedule of rates by State Maritime Administration, such estimation of cost shall be dredger specific and based on principal particulars of dredgers.  The Guidelines includes latest technological systems on survey and investigations recommended for capital dredging projects.

The guidelines directed to work out dredging cost scientifically taking into consideration the operation cost and the mobilization & demobilization along with other cost of dredgers. Guideline further directed to engage two different agencies for Project Management Consultancy and Third Party Survey to avoid conflict of interest.

The guidelines were meant provide fair and equal opportunity for any new entrant to dredging industry as the same shall not be based either on Minor Ports Survey Organization (MPSO) Dredging Corporation of India DCI, the former company was closed and the later majority shares were disinvested; Concepts of Assured depth contract, EPC mode contract, annuity model/hybrid annuity model etc. needs to be considered as dredging option.

With this addendum to the previous Guidelines, the beneficial use of dredged material has to be adequately explored and accordingly the concept of ‘Waste to Wealth’ in the dredging sector has been highlighted, which is now being issued to the Major Ports, Inland Waterways Authority of India (IWAI), and Dredging Corporation of India (DCI) which are under administrative control of the Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways.

The Addendum to the Dredging Guidelines outlines the wide range of beneficial use of dredged material including engineering use for construction purposes, environmental enhancement including beach nourishment etc. There is need for extensive study of the characteristics of the dredged soil with Geo technical data of the dredging area of the dredging project.

Union Minister for Ports, Shipping and Waterways, Shri Sarbananda Sonowal highlighted that ‘the implementation of the dredging project with beneficial use of dredged material, is expected to bring down the cost of the dredging and also ensure environment sustainability as per the concept of ‘Waste to Wealth’ and the mantra of 3R – Reduce, Reuse and Recycle given by our Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi’.

This addendum to the guidelines has also brought out the need for incorporating the data on type of soil and characteristics, approximate quantity of dredged material, disposal sites etc., to the potential bidders well in advance. In this regard, it has been suggested as additional guideline to incorporate the data on type of soil and characteristics, approximate quantity of dredged material, disposal sites etc., to the potential bidders well in advance. This is subjected to Environment condition for disposal of dredged material and also the permission from the Competent State Authority.

The bidder can be given option to submit the bids with cost towards execution of dredging work and the estimated value of dredged material with bid evaluation parameter as net cost (cost of dredging – the quoted price for the value of the dredged material). The Dredging companies may undertake the disposal of the dredged material while promoting the concept of Waste to Wealth.

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MJPS

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