PANAJI:  In response to the Goa barge owners’ requirement of a higher capacity ore carrier, a study and design plan sponsored by the Centre for the new barge is with the state government for its finalisation.

The new barge is suited for shallow waters with a higher carrying capacity by 500 tonnes will soon ply the Mandovi River. Built to transport 3,000 tonnes of ore against the present maximum 2,500 tonnes barge and is built for shallow waters of 3.2 meters draught.
The completion of the feasibility design and study was handed over to the Chief Secretary, Mr Sanjay Srivastava at a seminar on `Goa Barges – Future Trends in Design,’ held on Monday. The Rs 15 lakh study and design project is sponsored by the Centre and awarded to Indian Maritime University, Visakhapatnam, Institute of Shipbuilding Technology, Goa and IIT Kharagpur, said professor SC Misra director, IMU, to the participants. “The new design is the work of the three synergies that started three years ago and is carried out especially for the existing Goa rivers system and will further make transporting of ore viable, he added.
Mr Vijay Chhibber, Additional Secretary Ministry of Shipping and chief guest assured the Goa barge owners of looking into the matter of dredging certain areas of Goa rivers in respond to the stakeholders’ perception given by Mr Atul V Jadhav, president of the Goa Barge Owners Association (GBOA). He said it was necessary to dredge certain areas that impediment the smooth flow of the barges.
Till date about 400 barges are transporting ore, and are projected to transport over 53 million tonnes in the next season, from 50 million tonnes last May. More barges are expected to enter the busienss, the seminar audience were told.
Mr Satish V Paliencar, head of shipbuilding IST, while presenting a technical paper said the model of the new design barge is in the conceptional stage and is soon to be fine-tuned and finalised by the Goa barge owners and the shipbuilding industry.
The new design incorporates a higher capacity tonnage to 3,000 tonne against the present maximum 2,500 tonnes barge. It is designed for 3.2 meters draught, the propeller and hull are made for better performance and to better navigate the Goa rivers and channels.
With natural restrictions of low draught even up to 1.6 meters in some areas of the rivers, it is not feasible for bigger size barges to ply the Zuari River. With the stakeholders urging for 3.6 meters draught, the new barge is a model for economically upgradation, said Mr Paliencar. 
Shallow water effects increase in surge, sway and yaw moment. Natural restrictions are felt at Chicalim, Ribandar, Divar Island, Amona, Kotumbi among others. Other restrictions are loading points.  The seminar was organised by IMU and the Institute of Shipbuilding Technology, Goa.