The much awaited Ro-Ro ferry service, connecting Saurashtra with south Gujarat, may soon become a reality.
The much awaited Ro-Ro ferry service, connecting Saurashtra with south Gujarat, may soon become a reality. It is learnt that the Gujarat Maritime Board (GMB) has awarded the contract for building Ro-Ro terminals at Ghogha in Bhavnagar, and at Dahej in Bharuch, to Essar.
The cost of the project was originally estimated at Rs176 crore, but the exact bid placed by Essar could not be immediately ascertained. The construction of the terminals has to be completed in 15 months.
"Essar emerged the lowest bidder and was awarded the EPC (engineering, procurement & construction) contract for Ro-Ro terminals at Ghogha and Dahej," said a GMB official on the condition of anonymity.
GMB vice-chairman and managing director Pankaj Kumar could not be reached for his comments in spite of several attempts. However, officials said that the GMB would sign a formal agreement with Essar by next week.
The Ro-Ro ferry service, which is expected to greatly reduce travel time between Saurashtra and south Gujarat, has been delayed for several years owing to one reason or another. However, officials said that the service would be launched in the first quarter of 2013.
According to officials, the process for selecting a private operator for the Ro-Ro ferry services has also been initiated and the operator is also likely to be decided soon.
The distance between Ghogha and Dahej is 360 km by road, but only 17 nautical miles (30 km) by sea. With the launch of a ferry service, the travel time between the two places can be cut from the 7-8 hours currently to just one hour.
The service will also lead to other benefits such as reduction in road congestion, fall in CO2 emissions and a potential boost to tourism. The project received environmental and coastal regulation zone clearances last year. According to officials, the project will include construction of berthing jetty, structure for pontoon, access bund, access trestle, link-span bridge, dredging, land reclamation, parking, provision of passenger amenities and terminal connectivity, among others. State tourism minister Jaynarayan Vyas had said earlier that the Ro-Ro ferry services could be extended to connect other coastal places in the state.
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