The Hindu Business Line : Kolkata port, box lines at loggerheads over congestion problems

Kolkata, Sept. 26 Kolkata dock authorities and the container lines, both mainline and feeder operators, are at loggerheads over the congestion problem at the container berths of the Kolkata Dock System (KDS).

The problem has assumed such critical proportion that the traffic manager of KDS has ordered, verbally though, evacuation of the imported containers straight from the vessel’s hook point to any container freight station (CFS) located outside the dock. No more stacking of containers will be allowed in the yards within the dock, the shipping lines and their agents have been told.

Inquiries reveal that, both in terms of physical space and the availability of handling equipment, ideally KDS should have 3,500 TEUs to stack in its stacking yards at any point of time. However, as many as 5,000 TEUs now clamour for storage space within the dock. “This is impossible,” observed a spokesman for KDS.

‘Want written order’

The Association of Shipping Interests in Calcutta (ASIC), the body of shipping lines and their agents, whose members are equally concerned at the problem of congestion at KDS, however, are not prepared to accept the verbal instruction from the traffic manager in regard to evacuation of boxes straight from the ship’s hook point to CFS located outside the dock.

“Our agreement with the consignees is that the boxes will be delivered at the container yard and any change in such arrangement, if agreed verbally, will create problems for us”, observe ASIC sources. The ASIC members, therefore, want discussion across the table and a written order from the authorities concerned. Till then they refuse to accede to traffic manager’s request.

The Kolkata Port Trust, according to its Chairman, Dr A.K. Chanda, has written to the Rail Board to immediately start services, at least one rake per day, between KDS and Tughalakabad ICD near Delhi, to evacuate the north Indian bound containers imported through KDS as a mean to ease the congestion. “In the absence of such services at present, the containers are evacuated by road, throwing up further congestion on the road and various other problems,” Dr Chanda said.

“To ease congestion, we will shortly a start a truck terminal outside the dock.”