The state government kicked off the commissioning of Ro Ro facility between Gogha in Saurashtra and Dahej in South Gujarat. The state authority Gujarat Maritime Board (GMB) awarded contract to build the Ro-Ro Ferry Service to Essar Projects. The project is scheduled to be completed in 15 months and will cost Rs 225 crore. On Wednesday, Gujarat chief minister Narendra Modi laid the foundation stone for the Ro Ro facility between Gogha and Dahej.
Proposed Ro-Ro Ferry Service will reduce distance between Gogha & Dahej by 360km land-route to a 31km sea-route. The government of Gujarat and Essar Project are claiming that the project will reduce 80% distance besides saving in fuel costs and travel-time.
Commenting on the project, Essar Projects president & CEO Alwyn Bowden said, "It is a matter of pride for us to associate with this prestigious project. The vision of Gujarat to provide a strategic connectivity through this project will go a long way in boosting trade and industry in the region by substantially reducing travel time. Essar Projects can contribute to making this vision a reality with its four decades of experience in marine construction."
According to 'Origin Destination' survey conducted by GMB in November 2008 , a large number of passenger and cargo traffic is available and demonstrated a potential to develop a ferry service in the Gulf of Cambay. The strategic locations of Gogha and Dahej in the Gulf of Cambay offers the planned ferry service a great potential to develop, given the easy crossing of the Gulf.
In order to keep up with the recent advances in technology and ship size, the Ro-Ro terminals are planned so that RO-RO vessels of larger sizes could load and unload at the terminals, read the media statement issued by Essar Group.
In order to develop this service, the government of Gujarat has constituted a "Gujarat Coastal Area Development Board (GCADB). This project, initiated by the GMB, is part of the government of Gujarat's effort to develop a 1,600-km coastline as a means to develop trade and transport between Southern Gujarat and Kutch.
The GMB along with the GCADB will primarily focus on tourism, forest & environment, fisheries development, industrial development and natural calamity management.
The scope of Essar Projects contract includes designing and construction of Ro Ro Service terminals at both Gogha and Dahej. It will constructing an approach bund of total 609 meters, of which 497 meters will be at Gogha and 112 metres at Dahej besides constructing an approach trestle of total 562 meters at two locations among others.
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