The Mumbai Port Trust and Jawaharlal Nehru Port Trust (JNPT) are both central to the Maritime Trade.
Defence chief PRO N Vispute said in order to improve capability and facilitate movement of higher tonnage and deeper draught vessel, shipping authorities have contracted a capital project for widening and deepening of the main channel of Mumbai.
Vispute said that as part of these objectives, two dredgers have been pressed into service and about 20% of the work has been completed.
However, since April 2013, the dredging operations have been hampered by the recovery of unexploded ordinances (UXOS) in the channel.
JNPT authorities have requested the Indian Navy for assistance in safe disposal of these UXOS to facilitate further completion of work. "The Indian Navy has responded expeditiously to the request and provided its team of experts from the explosive ordinance disposal squad as well as the naval armament depot for disposal of the UXOS. A total of 90 UXOS have been disposed so far," said the official.
