By Ihtashamul Haque

ISLAMABAD: The federal government has approved the deepening of Gwadar port and released first instalment of Rs16.3 billion to start the work in June as part of the second phase of the $865 million mega project. Official sources told this correspondent on Tuesday that the first phase of the project had been completed but the port could not be inaugurated by the Chinese prime minister in May as scheduled ‘due to various reasons’.

The ministry of ports and shipping has conveyed its administrative approval to the chairman Gwadar Port Authority to initially start the second phase at a cost of Rs16.3 billion which includes Rs11.8 billion foreign exchange component. The port authorities have been told to urgently install gantry cranes at the port and that the specification of the cranes and their installation could be negotiated with the port operators.

The second phase — Gwadar Deep Water Port Project — was expected to be completed by 2010. Sources said that the phase-2 would be executed by private sector to accommodate 50,000 DWT container ships, 100,000 DWT dry bulk carriers and up to 200,000 DWT oil tankers, three container terminals (2010m quay length), one bulk cargo terminal (305m length), one grain handling terminal (305m length), one twin pier oil terminal (688m length), breakwater (600m length), approach channel (16./20m deep), back up areas, craft and equipment and building etc.

The phase-1 was completed by public sector with the Chinese assistance at a revised cost of $298 million. It included three multipurpose berths (602m quay length), one service berth (100m length), 4.35km navigable channel (11.6/12.5m deep), roads, plinths and transit shed, operational craft and equipment including navigational aids and shore-based port buildings and allied facilities.