The Hindu Business Line : Storm hits Haldia dock operations

A violent storm, at an estimated speed of 170 km per hour, swept through Haldia last night affecting the operation of the dock partially. The township was particularly hit, with the suspension of electricity and, therefore, water supply.

The entire area was strewn with uprooted trees, affecting normal movement, according to Haldia dock sources.

The work in the night shift in the dock was hampered while the work in the morning shift could be started late, at around 9 a.m. There was no major disruption in port operations, but a few things created anxiety to the dock authorities.

Two ships berthed in the impounded dock, one loading iron ore and the other unloading bauxite, had their ropes snapped. However, any major disaster was averted by the timely action of the dock authorities. The wheel of a crane in the berth number 4A was also damaged, affecting unloading, it is learnt.

Siltation

Meanwhile, siltation of the Hooghly river near oil jetty number one of the dock is causing concern to the dock authorities. A draught cut of 0.4 metres has been announced, entailing problems for the ships.

While rising siltation is certainly a major problem, the forecast about the tide in the river, as made by the Chief Hydrographer of the Government, is proving off the mark, according to dock sources. The oil jetty, apart from handling crude, also handles substantial volumes of traffic for several companies such as Mitsubishi, Haldia Petrochemicals and others.

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