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Container throughput at the Amingaon (Guwahati) inland container depot (ICD) in the current fiscal is likely to remain around the same level as that in 2011-12. The throughput in 2011-12 was 2,600 TEUs totalling 40 rakes; the figure so far in the current year is 2485 TEUs totalling 42 rakes.
The Amingaon (Guwahati) inland container depot is by and large a seasonal ICD that mainly handles tea containers for export during the tea season.
“With the tea season coming to a close, the throughput of tea containers for exports is tapering off; but these days, the rakes are also used for moving domestic containers,” according to a spokesman for a leading shipping line participating in ICD movement.” Tea exports so far this year have not recorded impressive growth.
The number of empties (empty containers) now available at the ICD is 58 FEUs (to 116 TEUs), the present trend being to use more 40 ft boxes (FEUs) than the earlier practice of 20 ft ones (TEUs).
Among the shipping lines participating in ICD shipments, Shipping Corporation of India has garnered the largest share of 46 per cent at 1,131 TEUs, followed by Mediterranean Shipping Company (597 TEUs) and Maersk (587 TEUs) at 24 per cent each, and APL (146 TEUs) at six per cent. The smaller players include K Line (14 TEUs), NYK (six TEUs) and PIL (four TEUs).
Among the shippers, McLeod Russel tops the list with a share of 1,644 TEUs, followed by APJ Tea at 373 TEUs. Thus, the gap between number one and number two is wide. The other shippers participating in the ICD movement include M K Shah (156 TEUs), Assam Company (111 TEUs), Goodricke Group (91 TEUs), Warren group (61 TEUs) and Gillanders (45 TEUs).
The spokesman is all praise for the Container Corporation of India, which runs the ICD at Amingaon as well as provides the rakes for transportation of boxes, both loaded and empties. “There has been no disruption in the movement so far this year,” he says. He, however, draws attention to one problem, namely, the availability of traffic in one direction only, i.e. between Amingaon and Kolkata Port.
“Despite our best efforts, we could not generate steady traffic flow in the opposite direction, i.e. between Kolkata Port and Amingaon,” he adds.
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