Kolkata: The Kolkata port has launched a night navigation system that allows ships to move into the city even during the high tide at night.
The port has installed more than 100 lights on the river and the shore between Diamond Harbour and the city, covering a distance of 60 km on the Hooghly. This move will further enhance the poet’s capacity to handle ships.
The National Technology Centre for Ports, Waterways and Coasts, IIT Madras, prepared a comprehensive study and roadmap for night navigation in collaboration with the Port of Antwerp.
In complete darkness, the container vessel MV SinarPenida, measuring 117 meters in overall length and with a six-meter draft, completed its inaugural transit, carrying 8000 tonnes of cargo from Budge Budge to the sea.
This stretch of the Hooghly has many sharp bends and the depth of the riverbed shifts frequently from the right to the left bank. The lights will help them navigate the vessels safely even during the night.
The river channel from Haldia to Sandheads is straight with a known depth. However, the river’s course and depth change suddenly in the stretch between Kolkata and Diamond Harbour.
The successful introduction of night navigation in the upper stretches of the Hooghly is a testament to the scientific and technological approach adopted by the port.
The move will significantly improve operational efficiency and turnaround time, paving the way for enhanced trade throughput.
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