The Hindu Business Line : Chennai Port rationalising coal storage allocation

Streamlining procedure
Tender notice asking importers to take plots on short-term lease issued.
Rationalisation will ensure free flow of vehicles, reduce congestion.

Chennai May 17 The Chennai Port Trust is rationalising the system of allocation of coal storage yards inside the port. It will allot the plots on a short-term licence as against the present system of a monthly licence fee.

In April, the port trust gave away a third of the available storage area (of close to 5 lakh sq m) to the upcoming second container terminal. Part of this was used for storing coal. With the area available for storing coal coming down, the authorities had to streamline allocation procedures and make logistics easier for the user, the port trust's Chairman, Mr K. Suresh, said.

The port trust has issued a tender notice asking importers of coal/coke and stevedores of the port to take the plots on short-term lease. There are over 60 importers of coal at the port, he told Business Line.

The rationalisation will ensure free flow of vehicles in and out of the plots, and reduce congestion at the port's exit gate, he said.

At present, coal is stored at the southern foreshore of the port and the configuration of plots was not done "scientifically". This resulted in poor utilisation of plots, and movement of vehicles in and out of the plots was inefficient.

However, while preparing the layout of the plots, service road and storm water drainage facilities will be provided to ensure free flow of traffic and prevent water logging during rainy season. In addition, separate access to the plots will be provided so that the arterial road connecting the northern and southern ends of the port is free from congestion, he said.

The chairman said plots would be suitably developed to have a demarcation between the area from which coal is moved by rail and by road. Adjacent to the railway lines, common loading areas of 20 m width have also been provided to permit transit storage of cargo to facilitate wagon loading and for efficient evacuation.

In addition, care has been taken to avoid coal stacks opposite to the State Secretariat and near INS Adyar, the naval base. Dust suppression systems like windscreens and water sprinkling have already been installed to reduce coal dust moving towards the city, he said.

The Chennai port has been handling thermal coal since 1992 and the volume touched 10 million tonnes in 2001. Thereafter, the coal for Tamil Nadu Electricity Board was shifted to Ennore to make Chennai a "clean port". In 2006-07 the port handled 2.18 million tonnes of thermal coal and 1.39 million tonnes of coking coal, he said.