Supply of power equipment by BHEL: Generic transport logistics to be evolved

Many of the delays observed in the supply of equipment to power projects, precluding their timely commissioning, can be attributed to lack of robust transportation strategies. This is especially true of BHEL, which supplies a large majority of power plant equipment erected in the state.

As a solution, the Department of Heavy Industries (DHI) has offered to evolve a set of generic guidelines to facilitate the swift evacuation of machinery from the factories to the project site. Some components of these common logistical parameters may be modified by BHEL as per its requirements.

 To this effect, an expert technical group (ETG) was constituted in December 2009 to furnish appropriate recommendations to correct the hurdles being faced by BHEL in the transportation of heavy and oversized dimension consignments (ODC). The group has, recently, submitted its report to the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) and Indian Road Congress (IRC) for their comments.

Further, in a bid to put in place a single window clearance system for transportation of ODCs, it has been decided that the Chief Freight Transportation (CFT) managers of each railway zone will also act as nodal officers and obtain clearance from other zonal authorities, as well, on behalf of BHEL, thus simplifying the process for the equipment major.