Only a Barrage Can Save! - The Ganga: Water Use in the Indian Subcontinent - page 80

on the river, pilots were prohibited from moving vessels, of more than 17 feet draft,
at any time of the year, between Calcutta and Diamond Harbour. Under a revised
rule in 1830, pilots were forbidden, on threat of dismissal, from moving a vessel
of more than 20 feet draft, even with the aid of steamers. Vessels of greater draft
had to offload part of their cargo either at Sagar island, or at Diamond Harbour. In
1860, no vessel of 23 feet and in 1870 over 24 feet draft visited the port. In 1880,
the maximum draft was 25 2 , in 1890, it was 26 1 from where it rose to 27 2 in
1900, to 28 3 in 1903, to 29 3 in 1911 and to 29 10 in 1917. In 1912-1913, as
many as 49 vessels of over 27 feet and 12 vessels of over 28 feet draft navigated
the river.
However, increase in the size or draft of vessels was not wholly due to actual
improvement of the river channels. In earlier years, because of less trade in the port,
the channel was not fully utilized; it gradually increased with greater size of vessels.
Moreover, in those days, a large volume of trade was carried in sail-vessels; before
1830, practically entire trade traffic to and from Kolkata was carried in sail-ships
with but a few tugs. A sail-ship requires a wider and deeper channel than a steamer.
A channel which would barely suffice for a ship of 18 feet draft, sailing up and
down, may give ample facilities to a steamer of more draft, because it can navigate
along the deepest line, or thread, of the channel. The supersession of sail-ships by
steamers, therefore, permitted fuller use of available depth and an apparent, though
not actual, improvement might have resulted from it. In the Hooghly, this change
occurred in heavier traffic, some decades ago but improvement in traffic since about
1880 cannot, in any way, be ascribed to this development. Another factor which
hastened the growth of traffic was provision of more facilities for navigation in the
Hooghly. At the same time, increased frequency of surveys made possible more use
of the port, by taking advantage of existing channels and more navigational aids in
the way of plans, buoys, marks and good information network.
Government Survey
In spite of these, general deterioration of the Hooghly continued, affecting the ser-
vices of Calcutta Port. Various projects were considered between 1830 and 1900
for improving the navigable approach to Kolkata. In 1831, the Government of India
approved a detailed survey for excavating a ship canal from Kolkata to the head of
the Matla river, avoiding altogether the existing navigable route through the Hooghly
river. As a part of the scheme, a new port at Canning on the Matla was started in
1863 in conjunction with the Calcutta Port. Facilities were developed up to 1866
in the port but it did not pay off and was abandoned. The Matla Canal Scheme
was again investigated in 1901 by Captain E. W. Petley who found that the route
had further deteriorated since 1876. An alternative approach route to the Hooghly
was finally settled ever since. Another proposal for creation of an auxiliary port near
Channel Creek below Kolkata for avoiding the Hooghly channel in 1795 also did not
succeed. Many other attempts to train the Hooghly channel and to keep it free from
deterioration also failed. Attempts like cuts inside the channel, proposed diversion