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Sonadia Deep Sea Port

Debate over feasibility report tomorrow

Abdullah Ai. Mahmud, ctg
A deep sea port can be set up at Sonadia channel in three phases till 2055 at an estimated cost of Tk 60,000 crore with the first phase completed by 2016, says a feasibility study.
The first phase of the port in the offshore island of Moheshkhali in Cox's Bazar would cost Tk 13,000 crore under public-private partnership (PPP) financing, said the draft final report of the techno-economic study.
A Japanese firm — Pacific Consultant International - that conducted the 31-month study since June 2006, submitted the report in February mentioning that the deep sea port would be established on a more than 220-hectare area.
The draft report said the port would revolutionise Bangladesh’s trade through sea routes with the South Asian region And it would help transport of goods to India’s seven south-eastern states, Kolkata port and Haldia port, Nepal, Myanmar as well as to Kunmin province ofChina.
Meanwhile, the report would be placed for an open discussion in the capital tomorrow.
All the stakeholders along with members of the technical committee and staffs
related to the study and representatives from different government organisations would participate in the deliberations at Sonargaon Hotel and give their views on the study.
Sources said the deliberations might throw light on if there are scopes to reduce the cost of completing the first phase.
They pointed out that as per the draft final report two break-waters'-one 1,950 metres and the other 2,250 metrcs-- are required to be constructed at the mouth of Sonadia channel to protect the deep sea port from tidal upsurge and waves. If one break-water can serve the purpose, the cost can be slashed'by around Tk 1,000 crore. And there is scope for avoiding acquisition of 300 acres of land if rail tracks can be laid along the road to be constructeditheysaid:
There are also scopes to revise the estimated cost of dredging the channel, and consider construction of RCC pile-supported jetties instead of the proposed Caission Type Quaywall for those. And this might bring down the cost of the project work significantly (even below Tk 10,000 crore), said the sources.
According to the study report, a harbour with nine 300-metre jetties would be constructed to allow berthing of nine mother vessels, four containers and five general cargo vessels, in the first phase.
Construction work in the first phase would include development of required infrastructure and back-up facilities.
TYvo more harbours each with the same number and length of berths would be constructed in the second phase of the project to be completed by 2035.
When the third phase is completed with construction of three more harbours by 2055, the deep sea port would have six harbours each with same number and length of berths.
The channel inside each U-shaped harbour would measure 1.5 km by 0.5 km. The draft of the channel would be raised to 16 metres from 10 metres now.
The proposed infrastructures and back-up facilities include a 40 km rail track from Dohazari of Chandanaish upazila in Chittagong to Harbang of Chakoria upazila in Cox’s Bazar, roads of the same length, development of waterways and pontoons for
inland water transport, water treatment plant and thermal power plant.
The draft report would be reviewed in the light of suggestions at tomorrow's open discussion, and then finalised, sources said.
Later, an'executing agency would be formed with representatives from the ministries of shipping, finance, planning and establishment, and other authorities concerned.
Based on the recommendations and guidelines given by the executing agency, an interim port authority' (IPA) would be formed to formulate a PPP model prior to formation of a deep sea port authority (DSPA).
The IPA would also be responsible for choosing financiers from private sector to provide 70 per cent of the fund for setting up the port.
The government would provide the remaining 30 per cent, the sources said.