The Hindu : Andhra Pradesh News : Anchorage port faces congestion

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Thursday, Sep 27, 2007
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Andhra Pradesh

Andhra Pradesh

Anchorage port faces congestion

Correspondent

Adverse weather aggravates the problem

As many as 23 ships wait at the anchorage port
Coconada Chamber monitoring barges allotment

Kakinada: The anchorage port once again is facing congestion with as many as 23 ships anchored and some more are expected to arrive in the next couple of days.

Of these vessels only four are with the imported fertilisers and the 19 are for exports - two vessels for loading maize and one ship for rice bran extraction. The impact of the congestion is so munch that work on eight vessels is yet to commence for the past 10 days.

The existing fleet of steel barges are not able to cope with the demand and adverse weather conditions have further aggravated the problem. Heavy rains have hindered the port operations for two days and the surflag warning by the port authorities on the powerful currents in the port canal has confined the steel barges to the jetties for another two days, thus total four days disturbance in port operations.

Even the ships that have completed the loading and unloading could not sail as scheduled for want of clearance owing to cyclone warning.

“The Cocanada Chamber of Commerce has been closely monitoring the barges allotment so that all the 23 ships could be worked simultaneously without attracting the provisions of demurrage. The shipping trade is now following the principle of ‘first come first served’ policy by agreeing for allotment of more barges to the senior ship and lesser to the junior vessels which is welcoming,” said one leading clearing and forwarding agent.

Normal operations

After a lull for four days, the normal loading and unloading operations in the anchorage port have commenced on Tuesday. Since it is first day only around 11,000 tonnes cargo handled and picked up the next day with around 19,000 tonnes handled. It is expected to go up to 20,000 tonnes by Thursday.

At this loading rate, the shipping trade hopes to clear the congestion within a week.

The situation in the Deepwater Port is also quite similar to that of the anchorage with as many as five vessels waiting for berthing. Of these one is for unloading of ammonia, and another for discharging of crude palm oil while the remaining four- three are for loading of iron ore and one is for taking granite blocks.

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