The Hindu Business Line : Kochi port initiates action plan

THE Kochi port has admitted that there has been heavy congestion at the Rajiv Gandhi Container Terminal (RGCT) owing to heavy inflow of import containers and breakdown of equipment last week.

However, it has initiated an action plan to reduce congestion by making efforts to speed up the repair works to the reach stackers and transfer cranes, the port officials said in a press statement issued here.

Currently, three transfer cranes and two reach stackers are in commission. Despite that, the situation has worsened due to backlog developed on account of shut out of boxes and delayed delivery in the past two weeks. There are about 3,500 TEUs of containerised cargo lying inside the terminal while the capacity of the terminal is to hold 1,500 TEUs at a time, the officials said.

To ease the congestion, it has been decided to service only 3 container vessels at any given time. So as to reduce the dwell time of export containers, the entry of containers to the terminal for the next voyage would be permitted only on sailing of the present vessel, the port officials said.

Strict carting cut off after one shift from the berthing of the vessels has been introduced. The reefer exporters and custom house agents have been instructed to cart the containers to the terminal on registration and confirmation of plug point availability. It was also decided to place 20 more reefer plugs within three days, according to officials.

The port would not recover stack amendment charges on the shut out boxes arising out of equipment breakdown. The transfer cranes and reach stackers are being repaired on high priority in the event of breakdown. Fixed time delivery of house de-stuffing container and acceptance of house stuffed containers is also being worked out.