The Hindu : Business : Kochi port can handle higher cargo volume

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Thursday, Mar 20, 2008
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Business

Kochi port can handle higher cargo volume

Staff Reporter

The capacities remain underutilised

KOCHI: A study to prepare a business plan for the Kochi port suggests that the port berths can handle more than five times the present volume of break-bulk, dry bulk and other liquid cargo provided sufficient storage area is made available.

The report, submitted by TransCare, says an analysis of the port’s performance showed that the capacities remain underutilised to a ‘tremendous extent.’

All berths, apart from the ones used by India Gateway Terminal Ltd. operating the Rajiv Gandhi Container Terminal and the Cochin Oil Terminal, lay vacant most of the time. The port is not facing a capacity problem but has a commercial problem as it is ‘unable to attract sufficient cargo to attain reasonable occupancy figures of the quays.’

The study lists low berth occupancy, limited back-reach of the terminals and poor state of equipment and labour conditions as the major reasons for the low-capacity usage.

To improve the flow of cargo to the port from the hinterland, the study suggests a four-lane National Highway 47. The study also suggests that the port authorities lobby with the governments of Kerala and Tamil Nadu to cut down delays in crossing the border.

The study sees potential for developing a hinterland hub in south India to consolidate railway volumes for different ports such as Kochi, Tuticorin and the up-and-coming Vizhinjam and Colachel. The study also suggests that the best location for such a hub is Erode.

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