shipping

LHI to rehabilitate Eastern harbour

Lanka Hydraulic Institute (LHI) was awarded recently to rehabilitate Valaichchenai Fishery Harbour funded by the Asian Development Bank (ADB).

LHI was recently awarded three North-East Community Development (NECCDEP) projects which were funded by the Asian Development Bank (ADB). They are the study on Improving Surface Water Drainage of Pottuvil, the Valaichchenai Fishery Harbour Rehabilitation Project and the Design and Construction Supervision Consultancy for the improvements of Cod Bay Fishery Harbour. These projects were taken up for implementation by NECCDEP project funded by ADB.

Chief Executive/Director of LHI Malith Mendis

One of the severely affected coastline areas by the tsunami which hit Sri Lanka in 2004 was Pottuvil. As an effort of rebuilding tourism and fisheries, the reconstruction and improvements of the infrastructure is aimed through this study of the Water Drainage System of the town. Due to the increased land development, increase population leading to ad-hoc filling in the area and improper drainage system has lead to flooding of the area even after a minute rainfall.

"LHI is to provide technical assistance into the study of improving the Surface Drainage System and to prepare a Master Plan of Storm Water Drainage System for Pottuvil town. This we hope to do through a land survey of the existing drainage system, a linear level differential survey for each road/drainage network and through defining the existing flow patterns, primary, secondary and tertiary outfall and areas of local inundation for the existing drainage network in the town," said L. Talagala, Senior Consultant at LHI.

"We hope to present and discuss the proposed models and potential solutions to the problem with the Pottuvil Pradeshiya Sabha, the Divisional Secretary, the Pottuvil and Panama Special Management Area Community Co-ordination Committee and with relevant stakeholders groups the key concerns and impacts with this regard," said Talagala.

The Fishing Harbour at Valachchenai which was opened in 1981 has rarely seen its full usage due to the on-going conflict. It was later shutdown in 1991 by the Ceylon Fishery Harbours Corporation after which the buildings have stood undamaged but unusable presently. The feasibility engineering studies to be done by LHI proposes rehabilitation of and repair of the Fishery Harbour facilities at Valaichchenai.

"The Valaichchenai Fishery Harbour Rehabilitation Sub-project aim to rehabilitate, repair and improve the Fishery Harbour facilities so that they can be used as a fishing landing and processing area for both single day and multiday fishing vessels. As part of this effort the building of a quay wall will be done to avoid the sand split formation at the mouth of the lagoon. In addition, new buildings will be constructed, access to harbour improved and mooring facilities will be provided," contributed N.K.M. Nanseer, Senior Engineering Manager at LHI.

The Cod Bay Fishery Harbour improvement project was awarded to LHI as a variation order to the ongoing Valaichchenai Contract for Design and Construction Supervision. According to Talagala, the main problem of the harbour in the situation of the western side of the repair jetty and at the jetty itself, which requires continuous monitoring and dredging to create the necessary depth for the vessels to navigate. Also, facilities for the fishermen in the area have not been provided for a long while and these improvements are going to pave the way for a more efficient service for the vessels in future, added the Senior Consultant.

LHI is currently also working on the Indian project for improvement of Draughts in Hooghly Estuary and recently completed the Krishnapatnam Port Project also in India. LHI has worked on projects ranging from Algeria to South Korea with projects in Eritrea, UAE, Bhutan, Brunei, and India and also on many projects in the Maldives.

"We are a local company working internationally. We are able to work on any kind of project within our sphere of expertise in any country around the world. Also, our clients are able to view the status of the project through the use of IP Cameras installed in our modelling basin. Our engineers are contactable through e-mail 24 hours a day. This technology has enabled LHI to provide a path in bringing the company to international standards and competing with international organizations of the world," Chief Executive/Director of LHI Malith Mendis said.

National shipping policy, a long-felt need - NCCSL

Ports and Shipping Committee of the National Chamber thanked the Government in declaring an enthusiastic and practical shipping policy that has looked into various aspects of developing the ports and shipping industry in the country.

The Colombo Port is fast developing to cater to more shipping needs locally and internatiohnally.

The Chamber made several representations in the past few years highlighting the dire need in preparing a broadbased shipping policy document which will help Colombo becoming the shipping and logistical hub in the South East Asia.

One of the recommendations that we made was to introduce a strong marketing strategy going well beyond confining all ports and shipping related activaties under Government control as conventionally done Sujeewa Samaraweera - Chairman Shipping & Ports committee-NCCSL.

We are happy that this recommendation was strongly taken up in the new policy document. We also see that all the players in the sector were considered as real stake holders of the sector in the new policy. The truth is that we have all this time under estimated the large potential that Sri Lanka has to become the number one shipping hub in the region purely due to our geographical location and the availability of the natural harbours.

These natural resources will help Sri Lanka to develop the ports and shipping industry well beyond servicing the export and import trade only. We have a large potential for transshipment, bunkering, ship repairs, ship building all of which were not looked at in a planned manner, he said. The policy document has given due consideration to develop Sri Lanka as a leading ports and shipping service provider thereby making a significant contribution to the GDP.

This could be possible with the emphasis given to establish the state of the art ports, commitment to excellence through setting up of new standards with continuous improvements to all aspects connected to sea borne, unimpeded access to reliable and competitive maritime and logistic services, provide ancillary services, develop a competitive national merchant shipping fleet, provide ship bunkering and ship repairs facilities, ensure the safety of life at sea and prevent marine pollution and to produce trained seafarers to the world all of which were given due consideration in the new document, he said.

Asia piracy down as problem shifts to Africa

Piracy in Asia has declined sharply in recent years as the problem has shifted to the waters off the coast of Somalia and the Gulf of Aden, maritime experts said Wednesday.

Incidents in the Straits of Malacca and Singapore have decreased thanks to coordinated efforts by Malaysia, Singapore and Indonesia, the experts told a maritime conference here.

"The success of the Asian initiative cannot be over-estimated," said Hartmut Hesse, a senior deputy director with the International Maritime Organisation (IMO), the UN's maritime watchdog.

"This was due to the decisive action taken by the littoral states here in this region... which has surely contributed to a large extent to the stable situation here."

Singapore, Malaysia and Indonesia have launched coordinated action, including increased air and naval patrols.

AFP

Mercantile Shipping to own more vessels

The Mercantile Shipping company will get six brand new vessels belonging to a group with German interests with close links to the island.

Two of the multi-purpose vessels are built by a Dutch yard, owned by Mercantile Shipping Company, which for years was the island's biggest ship owner. The company, in which German's DEG, a finance company for investment in developing countries and Reederi Eugen Friedrich of Bremen have stakes, is re-fleeting, having sold most of its old ships.

The other four new ships set to fly the Sri Lanka flag are owned by Mercantile Shipping's German partners and are being built in China.

Mercantile Shipping, sources said that they decided to register the six ships in Sri Lanka because of their long-standing ties with the island.

"The Sri Lankan shipping registry will record six brand new ships starting from this year," he said. The island's ship registry has only a few dozen ships, mostly aging cargo ships, and tugs and small tankers. The company also runs a merchant seamen training school in Galle, which supplies the crews for its fleet, and has a ship management operation.

The recent problems related to customs levies on ships had been settled by Court in favour of shipping firms and the building of new ports meant the island had moved from rhetoric to action.