The company retained by India to remove the ship wrecks under Kankesanthurai (KKS) Harbor has completed its work, according to The Official Government News Portal of Sri Lanka.
It has been found that one of the main problems in rebuilding the KKS Harbor is the presence of six ship wrecks of which 4 are inside and 2 are outside the Harbor.
Crews of M/s Resolve Salvage and Fire (Asia) Pvt Ltd of Singapore, who have been working on site in cooperation with the Sri Lankan government and the Navy since June 2011, have mapped, removed and disposed of ten vessels which were sunk during the LTTE conflict between 1994 and 2000.
The wrecks had obstructed safe navigation in the area and effectively prevented commercial shipping activity since that time.
The company was initially contracted to remove the known wreckage of six vessels, but sonar surveys have located and identified another four vessels inside the Harbor.
The additional discovery of four more wrecks and the northeast monsoon season have extended the projected date of completion of November 2011 to now and the company had worked under an accelerated schedule to finish the wreck removal. The discovery of live ammunition at two of the vessel wreck sites has further complicated the operations.
The company says that with completion of the wreck removal phase, dredging and rehabilitation of the breakwater/pier and construction of new pier and port facilities will proceed.
Dredging Corporation of India (DCI) will conduct the dredging of the harbor.
The port rehabilitation project is fully funded by a grant from the Government of India. It is anticipated that the project will result in increased trade in the Jaffna peninsula and restoration of economic activity in the Northern Province.
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Dredging Today Staff, April 3, 2012;