The Hindu Business Line : Paradip port hit by congestion; 47 ships now waiting for berths

An acute congestion has hit the Paradip port. As many as 47 ships, including 21 due to load iron ore, are now waiting for berths. The problem has surfaced despite the absence of the monsoon with full fury and substantial improvement in the port’s productivity, the average/day output having increased to 1.44 lakh tonnes in the first quarter of this year as compared to 1.14 tonnes in the same period of last year.

Haldia strike impact

The port source would attribute the crisis to the recent strike at Haldia till last week. A number of bulk carriers, either with imported coal or due to load iron ore for exports, were diverted from Haldia to Paradip, causing bunching of vessels. Also, there were other factors such as cyclone in end-May causing suspension of normal port operation for three days and a sharp rise in the volume of port’s traffic.

Between April and June this year, Paradip port handled 14.17 million tonnes (mt), up by more than 25 per cent over 11.3 mt handled in the same period of last year. The increase was largely due to the virtual skyrocketing of petroleum traffic – over 600 per cent jump at 2.70 mt (3.86 lakh tonnes).

Traffic growth

The commissioning of the single point mooring boosted the oil traffic like anything and the port has started handling crude for the first time. The throughputs of thermal coal and fertiliser raw materials (dry) too increased by more than 25 per cent each and of iron ore for exports by more than six per cent.

“If you leave out the oil traffic, the growth will be eight per cent”, Mr K Raghuramaiah, Chairman of Paradip Port Trust (PPT), told Business Line.

There is no quick-fix solution for easing congestion, assert port sources, pointing out that the remedy lies in increasing the capacity, which is not possible overnight. Yet some measures are being taken.

Three general berths, two for loading iron ore for exports and one for handling imported coal, have been reserved for three months.

Also, the Tariff Authority for Major Ports has been urged to fix at the earliest the tariffs for the three new mobile harbour cranes installed at the port. Once the TAMP’s decision is available, it should be possible for the port authorities to go for acquisition of two more.

Priority berthing

Meanwhile, the Orissa High Court, following a writ petition by Visa Steel, has kept in abeyance priority berthing by PPT to coal ships on SAIL (Steel Authority of India Ltd) account.

The Shipping Ministry had earlier instructed the PPT to accord priority berthing to two coal ships on SAIL account and accordingly, one of the vessels had already been berthed.

The court order, therefore, will impact only one ship that is still to be berthed, it is learnt. Also, the Government will take a view on the subject in consultation with the port authorities the court order has made it clear.

Mr Vishambhar Saran, Chairman, Visa Steel, told Business Line that the rules of law must prevail and the first come first serve sequence must be maintained for all ships.

“It will be dangerous if the practice of giving priority berthing becomes the trend”, he observed.

Only two days ago, Mr Saran, also as the President of Indian Chamber of Commerce, wrote to the Shipping Secretary protesting against priority berthing to coal ships on SAIL account at the Paradip port.

Related Stories:
Paradip port bullish on prospects of traffic growth
Surge in Paradip rail traffic