The Hindu Business Line : Congestion at JN port — Task Force likely to submit report soon

THE Task Force set up by the Commerce Ministry to look into the congestion problem faced by two container terminals at Jawaharlal Nehru Port, held its first meeting on Wednesday.

Headed by the JNPT Chairman, Mr Ravi Budhiraja, the Task Force is scheduled to submit its report, suggesting both short-term and long-term measures, within a month.

A two-week embargo on unloading of import cargoes at the P&O-operated Nhava Sheva International Container Terminal (NSICT) to make room for the export boxes, diversion of smaller vessels to the shallow berths at the port and dedication of a rail line for exclusive use for moving cargo out of NSICT for a period of one month were some of the suggestions thrown up at the meeting.

It was also suggested that the Central Board of Excise and Customs (CBEC) issue a circular permitting shipping lines that handle more than 5,000 TEUs per annum to shift their import boxes by road without the requirement of a Bank Guarantee. "This will significantly help bring down congestion immediately," a trade analyst said.

The first meeting of the Task Force also discussed the issue of congestion at JNPT threadbare. It was revealed at the meeting that some 16,000 boxes are at present lying at NSICT and if the terminal authorities could clear 5,000 immediately, the pendancy would be at a "manageable limit" of 11,000 boxes. "This could also pave the way for immediate opening of the export gates so that the export boxes could be brought into the port for loading," according to a trade source.

The other suggestions that were discussed at the meeting include directives to the shipping lines to evacuate their import boxes from inside NSICT to an alternative CFS, including the Bonded Warehouse of Central Warehousing Corporation, if their own designated CFSs are full.

Although both the meetings did not reach any conclusive measures, trade sources said that it was a nice beginning, especially with the Commerce Ministry stepping in to ease the problem.