Baber Ghauri commissions passenger ferry boats

On the inauguration ceremony of the free passenger ferry boats at Manora, here on Sunday, Minister for Ports and Shipping Senator Babar Ghouri named them FB Arfa Karim and FB Afza Altaf as he stressed upon on the importance to give due respect to national heroes like, Arfa Karim. Federal Minister said the passenger boats were built by Western Marine Shipyard Limited, Chittagong, Bangladesh and each one is capable of carrying 200 passengers at a time, he added. Babar Ghauri said Karachi Port Trust (KPT) has procured these 55 Dead Weight Tonnage (DWT) vessels at $2.345 million, having an over all length of 30-metres and 1.3-meters draught.
These have the net weight tonnage of 10-tonnes and their year of construction is 2011. Also, engines with models KTA 19 M-3 and propellers fixed pitch (Ni-Al-Bronze) are used in these boats. These ferries are imported from Bangladesh, he highlighted while talking to the media.
He said we have named the passenger ferry boats, FB Arfa Karim and FB Afza Altaf, to give due respect to our national heroes like Arfa Karim, being the youngest Microsoft Certified System Engineer of the world; her name must continue to live on in our memories, added Babar Ghauri. Chairman KPT Mohammad Aslam Hayat said commissioning of these ferry boats will provide an opportunity to members of the public to conveniently travel between Manora and Karachi. He said in addition to the ferry boats, KPT also has the privilege to request the federal minister to commission the Debris Collection Boat (DCB), Nizafa. This boat has been procured by marine pollution control department at the cost of Rs1.4 million and it has been locally developed in Karachi. It has the load capacity between 1,000-15,000-kilogram and is powered by an engine possessing 25 to 35 HP. “It has been our constant effort to modernise KPT to meet the modern challenges,” Aslam Hayat added. The port has already acquired two state of the art 60 tonnes bollard pull tugs and one beaver cutter suction dredger from abroad, in addition to the two acquired pusher tugs and one dredge tender from Karachi Shipyard, he added. He said we are actively pursuing acquisition of four hopper barges, two pilot boats, two shipping tugs of 65 tonnes bollard pull and one survey boat.