The Hindu Business Line : Kolkata port plans to acquire more equipment for KDS

According to the port Chairman, Dr A.K. Chanda, there will be acquisition of more mobile harbour cranes, RTGs (rubber tyred gantries), reach-stackers and tractor-trailers. Except the mobile harbour cranes, the acquisition of other equipment are expected to be completed by the second quarter of next fiscal.

For example, at least one RTG will be ready for operation from around April/May. Right now, the KDS has three RTGs.

Similarly, there is a proposal to purchase outright at least two reach-stackers. The KDS has now got seven reach-stackers - two of them owned an operated by KDS itself while two others, acquired on hire by KDS, are also operated by it. Three others are operated by a private firm.

The fleet of tractor-trailers, now comprising 22, is to be strengthened through acquisition of 10 more - six by way of outright purchase and four others by way of lease.

Currently, the KDS has two mobile harbour cranes, to be increased to three shortly.

The need for acquisition of more handling equipment, as Dr Chanda explains, has arisen in view of the rising trend in container throughput - estimated to reach two lakh TEUs by March 2006 from 1,59,000 TEUs in 2004-05. Presently, the containers are handled primarily in three berths of the Netaji Subhas Dock, namely, 5, 7 and 8, and, as Chairman points out, there is a proposal to convert berth number 4 also into a container berth complete with a stacking yard.

Dr Chanda seems convinced that the productivity of the KDS berths, which are old, cannot be stepped up without mechanisation of operation. Also, there has to be berth-specific mechanisation in the sense that not all equipment are ideally suited for operation of every berth.

"We are currently working on an optimum solution in this regard", Dr Chanda adds.