The all-weather Bhavnagar Port is all set to get operational again. The repair work on Asia’s only lock gate has been done while some of the dredging work is underway.

“The lock gate has been repaired, and with the completion of dredging work, we expect to reopen the port by October-November,” said Gujarat Maritime Board (GMB) Executive Engineer Bhavesh Adhiya.

The world famous lock gate at the new port in Bhavnagar is regarded as an engineering marvel, being one of the only two such constructions in the world — the other one being at Panama.

The lock gate was built by the German company Cruz White Wolfberi between 1957 and 1961 at a cost of Rs 1 crore.

When lowered, the gate helped in maintaining water level to 10 feet, making the anchorage of vessels possible. The main frame has sub-gates to increase or decrease the water level by a few feet.

A breach was first reported in 1998, affecting the anchorage of cargo vessels. The size of the breach had increased from two to eight feet in the intervening period, during which minor repairs were carried out.

Following the breach, GMB authorities were finding it difficult to maintain water at the required level for anchorage.

The port has remained completely non-functional since 2006. Cargo handling had then fallen to 1 lakh tonnes, instead of the average of over 6 lakh tonnes.

But now, with the new infrastructure in place, the port is all set to get back its old clients as well new ones.

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