MARG Const forays into dredging

As of 2005, the dredging market was estimated to be worth Rs 650 crore per annum, comprising of Rs 600 crore of maintenance dredging and Rs 50 crore of capital dredging.

In terms of the NMDP report, the total expenditure earmarked for dredging of all major ports by 2011-12 is estimated to be Rs 6,304 crore, out of the total port development expenditure of Rs 55,804 crore. This translates into a dredging volume of about 500 million cubm over six to seven year period

8220;Considering the huge gap in the dredging market and the small number of fleet currently available with domestic companies, the dredging rates are hovering at around 30 to 40 per cent above those prevailing a few years ago and this has rendered capital and maintenance dredging exceedingly expensive thereby adversely affecting the development/maintenance of ports in the country. Hence there is a need for augmenting the dredger fleet size in the country,8221; said BG Menon, executive director infrastructure at MARG.