The Cochin Port Trust has invited expressions of interest from private companies to set up a desalination plant and a water supply facility on Willingdon Island on a revenue share basis over the next 15 years.
Water shortage
The port trust is currently facing an acute shortage of water with Kerala Water Authority being able to supply only 2,000 tonnes.
The Water Authority has, however, promised to augment supplies to 32,000 tonnes by March 2013 under the Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission.
However, the port is severely constrained by the current shortage, which is hampering services to both the domestic and commercial sectors and supplies to ships calling at the port. The shortfall in domestic supply is estimated to be 500 kl a day.
Requirement
The requirement for ships calling at the port is around 400 kl a day and the requirement by commercial establishments is around 150 kl a day.
The port authority estimates that the current requirement of water supplies will go up to 2,500 kl for the commercial sector and to 4,000 kl for ships supplies over the next five years.
The port trust has also notified the rates for supplies to the various categories of consumers.
The company chosen for developing the facility will be provided land for establishing the desalination plant and overhead tanks at notified lease rates and permission to lay the pipelines.
The Port Trust has drawn up plans to turn Kochi into a major bunkering destination and plans to offer concessions to vessels that come to the port on bunkers only calls.