Taiwan:

The first assignment successfully carried out by “Darya Manthan” was dredging in the busy harbour of Kaohsiung, between June - October 2007.

This dredging project comprised seven different areas within the harbour channel. This involved increasing the channel depths to 14.5 mtrs and 16.0 meters from the then existing depths of 12 and 15 meters respectively. The dredging material was silt and soft sand making up a total volume to be dredged of close to 500,000 cbm.

The vessel overcame the usual difficulties of dredging in a harbour. The biggest factor was the constant and unpredictable movement of a number of vessels, including large container vessels frequenting the container hub of Kaohsiung. Additionally, due to the nature of the seabed, the vessel constantly faced repeated silting of areas where dredging had been carried.

India:

The next employment of the “Darya Manthan” was with M/s Dredging Corporation of India in Palk Straits for the purpose of creating the historic Sethusamudram Canal. This deployment was from December 2007 to May 2009.

During this period, the vessel was deployed at the northern part of the Sethusamudram Canal where the channel is about 34 km long. She was dredging at various allocated areas there. Her production was very good during this project.

The project was very different from the first project as the Sethusamudram involves dredging in the open seas. The dredging is carried out amidst challenging weather conditions, braving the uncertain local weather environ on a constant basis.

The vessel dredged a total of close to 4,000,000 cbm of material, with the dredging production being one of the best amongst the dredgers deployed on this project.

After completion of the assignment at Sethusamudram, “Darya Manthan” was deployed to Paradip for maintenance dredging in the approach channel to the port. This project once again involves a different situation and demands from the earlier projects. The dredging has to be carried out in a narrow area centered between the approach breakwaters and involves working during heavy weather conditions of the South West monsoons in the Bay of Bengal, with strong cross currents running across the approach channel where the dredging is being carried out. The project commenced on the 10th of June and the vessel completed the maintenance project on the 14th September, after having material of over 1,800,000 cbm, averaging over 22,500 cbm per day, well in excess of the contracted requirements with the Port.

Upon completion of the Paradip project, “Darya Manthan” was deployed at Haldia port for maintenance dredging of the channel.