In line with the vision to harness ports as vehicles for economic development, the Gujarat Maritime Board proposes to make the existing port facilities at Victor Port operational through private investment.
The Victor Port, located approximately 4.5 km. south of Victor village on NH-8 near Pipavav Port on western side of the Gulf of Khambhat and falling under the administrative control of Jafrabad Port, has been idle for many years with no throughput due to siltation.
The existing facilities at the Victor Port include a shore platform of 24.6 m x 16.3 m which can be utilized as apron wharf after renovation. The Port also has a retaining wall of 133 m that was built in 1976 and a wharf wall of 93 m built in 1975. Both have degraded over time. In addition, there is one storage shed that can be utilized after renovation. The Port has an area of 25,000 sq. m. which has degraded with time and requires improvement in order to be utilized. The slope covering an area of 78.5 x 2 m is currently being used by local boats.
According to GMB, the port is not in workable condition at present. Given the siltation, considerable capital dredging has to be carried out in the navigational channel as well as the waterfront for necessary draft. Approximately 5 km. of navigation channel needs to be dredged and earmarked. Thereafter, regular maintenance dredging will be required to maintain the channel depth.
The maritime body has already invited Expression of Interest from private companies for development and operation of the existing facilities (lighterage) at the Port. The private company is required to make the existing port facilities operational at its own costs through strengthening of the structures as well as capital and maintenance dredging and use them on lease basis for cargo handling. GMB will not set off or provide rebate against the cost incurred on making the port facilities operational. The company has to pay the wharfage and other port charges as per the Schedule of Port Charges.
GMB presently manages 41 minor ports in the state. During the year 2013-14, non-major ports in Gujarat handled 309.94 MMT of cargo as compared to 287.81 MMT handled in the previous year. With capacity addition of 21 MMT in 2013-14, the state’s port capacity reached 387 MMT.
