India's Largest Dry Dock Development Work To Be Innaugrated by Nitin Gadkari and Kerala CM

The Union Minister for Shipping, Road Transport & Highways, Water Resources, River Development & Ganga Rejuvenation Mr. Nitin Gadkari and Kerala Chief Minister Mr. Pinarayi Vijayan is all set to lay the foundation for India’s largest Dry Dock at Cochin Shipyard in Kerala. The Dry Dock will give an impetus to “Make in India” initiative under Sagarmala and raise India’s share in global shipbuilding to 2 percent. India currently occupies 0.66 % share in the global shipbuilding market.

The commercial shipbuilding industry in India is worth Rs. 3,200 Crore and focuses primarily on small-medium sized offshore vessels and cargo/bulk carriers. At present, Cochin Shipyard has two dry docks, one predominantly used for shipbuilding of size 255m x 43 x 9m and capacity 1,10,000 DWT and the other one for ship repair of size 270 x 45 x 12m and capacity 1,25,000 DWT.

The new Dry Dock is being constructed at a cost of Rs 1799 Crore. It will be 310 m long, 75m wide, with a depth of 13 m and drought of 9.5m. The dock will be designed to handle both shipbuilding and repairs, and bear a load up to 600 T/m. It will be equipped with international safety standards. The dock will also have a water treatment plant and Green Belt Development. Equipped with this Dry Dock, Cochin Shipyard will be able to build specialized and technologically advanced large vessels like LNG Carriers, drillships, jack-up rigs, large dredgers, aircraft carriers for Indian Navy and high-end research vessels. It will also help make Cochin a one-stop maritime hub for all repair needs in South East Asia.

The project is expected to be completed by May 2021 and generate employment opportunities for about 2000 people.

Two 500 capacity passenger vessels built by CSL for Andaman and Nicobar Islands administration will also be launched on the occasion. These vessels will help enhance intra island connectivity.

Mr. Gadkari will also lay the foundation stone for three National Highways projects in Kerala, costing Rs 1557 Crore at an event in Eranholi in Thalassery in Kannur district. These would include the construction of the 18.6 km, 4 lane Thalassery – Mahe bypass (NH-66) at a cost of Rs 1181 Crore ; construction of 0.78 km, 4-lane Railway Over Bridge near Neeleshwaram town (NH-66) at a cost of Rs 82 Crore and widening of 46.72 km from Nattukal to Thanavu Jn (NH-66) to two lane with paved shoulder at a cost of Rs 294 Crore .