KARACHI, Nov 6: The Port Qasim Authority has finally managed to remove one of the four sinkers settled at the bottom of the sea for the last 16 years and was a hurdle for capital dredging for deepening and widening of its approach channel.

Official sources said that the port authorities many a times invited tenders in the past for removal of these sinkers but there was no positive response from private sector companies.

However, in the last tender the PQA finally managed to award the job to a local firm who quoted Rs77.90 million for the job against an international company seeking Rs120 million.

The job was awarded on “No cure No Pay” basis and the local firm after applying all available sources of dredgers and air balloons last week managed to remove one of the sinkers of 35 tons from the bottom of sea.

A spokesman for the local company M/s MEW told Dawn the other three sinkers would also be removed during the allocated time of three months.

The PQA was facing great problem due to these sinkers, including buoys chains settled at the bottom of the sea in the area allocated for setting up liquid cargo terminal.

These sinkers were from the Naval Moorings used up to 1994 which fell and were a hurdle for capital dredging or deepening and widening of channel adjacent to Marginal Wharf Berth No 1 of the PQA. These sinkers were there for the last over 16 years and during this period due to heavy deposition of silt, the removal remained a difficult task.