The Hindu Business Line : Develop ports on hub and feeder strategy: Prof Raghuram

New Delhi, Aug. 29 Pointing out that India is likely to handle 21 million twenty-foot equivalent unit (TEU) containers by 2015-16, IIM Ahmedabad’s Professor G. Raghuram suggested developing ports on a “hub” and “feeder” strategy. While the feeder ports with relatively lower draft of up to 12 metre draft would handle feeder vessels and serve the hub ports, the hub ports should have at least 16 meter draft.

He said this while presenting the theme paper at a logistics seminar focused on containerisation organised by the CII here.

On the West coast, Jawaharlal Nehru Port (JN Port) could be taken up as hub port given that investments are lined up for JN Port.

However, he pointed out that Mundra is better placed in terms of draft and evacuation since JN Port does not have the draft or the evacuation capability for future growth.

On the eastern coast, Visakhapatnam is the most viable port for hub operations as it has natural water depth of 20 metres within a nautical mile. It is in the centre of the India’s eastern coast, and can even service Bangladesh and Myanmar.

The sea drift there is such that maintenance dredging requirements are less, Prof Raghuram said, while adding that Chennai has the commercial advantage (more investments lined up). He further added that Vallarpadam and Vizhinjam are possibilities from the South — but may not work on commercial criteria.