• Investment World
• eWorld
• Brand Line
• Mentor
• Life
• Brand Quest
• The New Manager

Stocks

• Quotes
• SE Diary
• Scoreboard
• Open-End Mutual Fund

Cross Currency

• Rates
  
  

Shipping

• Ports
  
  

Archives

• Yesterday
• Datewise
• Resources
• In Focus
• In Depth
• Events 2007

Group Sites

• The Hindu
• The Hindu ePaper
• Business Line
• Business Line ePaper
• Sportstar
• Frontline
• The Hindu eBooks
• The Hindu Images

Pongal had its toll on the operation of at least one major port and one Zonal Railway. For nearly five days, a major port virtually stopped functioning. Every year during Pongal, normal operation of the port would remain suspended at the most for two days. This time it was for more number of days. Unlike previous years, this year, the port’s own workers — along with the private contract labourer, who worked outside the port premises — stayed away from work for those days. This resulted in the rakes carrying thermal coal for coastal shipments and iron ore for exports getting detained within the port. At one point, as many as 12 iron ore rakes and eight thermal coal rakes got detained. With the result, the Zonal Railway concerned had to clamp restriction on the rake movement into the port. Thankfully, the situation is coming back to normal but the non-availability of enough imported coking coal for back-loading at the port remains a matter of concern for the Railways.

Stories in this Section
Cargo market on the move

Copyright © 2008, The Hindu Business Line. Republication or redissemination of the contents of this screen are expressly prohibited without the written consent of The Hindu Business Line