Navigational Aids

To facilitate the pilotage appropriate navigational aids have been provided throughout the passage. At present the following aids are available :

Lighthouse
Sagar Lighthouse (Lat. 21°39'N, Long. 088°03'E) is situated at Middleton Point on the Sagar Island one and half km. inshore. It is visible in clear weather from a distance of 28 Km.
Dariapur Lighthouse (Lat. 21°47'N, Long. 087°52'E) is situated on the right bank of hugli south of Rasulpur river and about 2.7 kms inshore.  It is visible in clear weather from a distance of 35 Km.

Light Vessels
There are five unmanned light vessels. These are as follows : (distances shown against each are southward from the Sagar Lighthouse).
•      U.G.L.F. Lat. 21°29'51" N Long. 088°06'36.5" E
•      L.G.L.F. Lat.  21°21'54" N Long. 088°09'34" E
•      TALENT WK L.V. Lat. 21°17'00" N Long. 088°11'25" E
•     Eastern Channel L.V Lat. 21°02'54.6" N Long. 088°11'30" E
•    Western Channel L.V Lat. 21°05'002" N Long. 087°50'24.8" E

Automatic Tide Gauges
These are maintained at Garden Reach, Diamond Harbour and Haldia for round-the-clock recording of tidal data, which is used for the prediction of tides and preparation of tide tables by Survey of India.

Manual Tide Gauges 
These are maintained at Akra, Moyapur, Hooghly Point, Balari, Gangra and Sagar for displaying rises of tide for the convenience of various vessels navigating, dredging and surveying in the River Hooghly.

River Marks and Buoys
There are 500 River marks some of which are lighted.  These are extremely useful in pilotage and dredging. There are also 90 lighted buoys and 42 unlit buoys marking the navigational channel from Sandheads to Kolkata.

Wireless/VHF Network
In order to facilitate speedy communication between various shore establishments and KoPT vessels operating in the river wireless stations have been provided at Kolkata,  Haldia and on board all dredgers, pilot vessels, despatch and survey/research vessels. In addition, these stations/vessels are also provided with VHF sets which are installed at many other vital oprational points including tidal stations within Kolkata Dock System & Haldia Dock Complex.

Syledis Chain System
The Electronic Position Fixing System "Syledis" was introduced in the Port of Kolkata in 1983.The Shore based Syledis Position Fixing System functions round the clock with the help of the Syledis Stations located at Haldia, Roychowk, Dadanpatra Bar and Frazergunj.In the wide estuary, position fixing with reference to shore objects to be viewed from the deck of a vessel, is very difficult. Acccordingly, the Syledis System is operated for position fixing of the vessels plying in the wide Hooghly Estuary. The system is effectively utilized for the purpose of hydrographic survey and dredging.

Differential Global Positioning System (DGPS) 
Kolkata Port Trust is replacing Syledis Position Fixing system by Differential Global Position Fixing System in phases by latest state-of the art equipments. The satellite based DGP System functions with the help of orbiting satellite and reference stations installed by KoPT. Mobile Sets on board the vessels receive  signals from the satellite as well as correction signal from the reference Stations giving exact locations of any mobile craft having the DGPS receivers in terms of latitude, longitude or in other coordinate  system along with related navigational parameters for safe navigation, dredging and survey purpose.

                                         
VTMS Control Room at Haldia

Vessel Traffic Management System (VTMS)
The VTMS is a Radar Surveillance System Operating on radars at strategic locations  connected through microwave data link and communication system.With a view to providing more effective and safer guidance to ship from the Sandheads to Haldia through radar survelliance, Vessel Traffic Management System (VTMS) was taken up in the first phase from the Sandheads to Haldia.

The system was operational in April 1996. Further, for the requirement of ISPS code and also for maintaining a back up to the VTMS  system, a stand alone VTS with Automatic Identification System (AIS)  facility was established at the Saugar pilot station in May 2005.

Order has been placed in July 2013 for design / development / installation  & commissioning etc  of VTMS on a turnkey basis at a cost of Rs 36.95 crore, (payments to be made over a period of ten years through  equated half-yearly instalments) , inclusive of 3 years’ warranty and 7 years' CAMC which involves replacement of the entire system (Haldia, Sagar & Frasergunj) by the latest state-of-the-art technology. All the four Radar Stations (Dadanpatra, Sagar, Frasergunj, Haldia) will be equipped with ‘X’ band Radar, dual transceiver etc through MW link, networking etc. 

Boat Registration
All unpropelled steel and wooden boats operating within the port limits are licensed by Superintendent, Boat Registration after necessary inspection to ensure safety of goods and lives being transported by these boats.  The Licensing fees are payable as per extant Scale of  Rates.