The Hindu Business Line : ‘Kolkata, Vizag ports could work together on container traffic’

Kolkata, Nov. 23 The need for complementarity between two ports, Visakhapatnam and Kolkata, to boost container traffic to and from the east coast was highlighted at a meeting held here recently.

Mr Ajeya Kallam, Chairman of Visakhapatnam Port Trust, said such complementarity already existed in respect of bulk cargo.

“There is no reason why the same should not happen in respect of containers also, more so when there is an imbalance in container traffic in both the ports,” he observed.

As Mr Kallam pointed out, the volume of import traffic in containers was more at Kolkata port than export while Visakhapatnam port presented just the opposite picture, with exports in containers exceeding imports. Such imbalance could be corrected through complementarity.

“I’ve come here not to entice traffic from Kolkata port, but to work out an arrangement which can be mutually beneficial to both the ports”, he added.

The meeting was organised by Visakha Container Terminal Pvt Ltd (VCTPL), in partnership with Bengal Chamber of Commerce and Industry.

VCTPL is a joint venture company that owns and operates the Visakha Container Terminal in Visakhapatnam port.

Capt Sriram Ravi Chander, Chief Operating Officer of VCTPL, pointed out that the larger part of the east coast was served by only two container ports, Kolkata and Visakhapatnam, and therefore the two ports must work together to attract container traffic to and from South-East Asia and Far East.

Currently, the two ports together handle barely half a million TEUs out of the country’s total container throughput of 7.5 million TEUs.

With the signing of Free Trade Agreement with ASEAN nations, he had no doubts, the trade between India’s east coast and those countries would jump. “If Dalian in China and Le Havre in France could be sister ports, it is only natural that Kolkata and Visakhapatnam come close in matter of container traffic”, he said.

He suggested that a feeder service between Kolkata and Visakhapatnam be operated, with Visakhapatnam functioning as the hub port. The service would be more cost-effective vis-a-vis the present feeder services connecting Singapore/ Colombo. However, for this to happen, as he pointed out, certain amendments to the existing laws might be necessary. Also, the trade must satisfy itself first that such an arrangement would benefit them.

Mr Praful Tayal, Chairman and Managing Director of Central Inland Water Transport Corporation, said with the commencement of container movement by barges between Kolkata port and Narayangunge in Bangladesh in another couple of months, the potential would further rise.

Mr B. R. Chandak, President, Eastern India Shippers Association, and Mr K Mukherjee of Bengal Chamber of Commerce and Industry, also spoke.

More Stories on : Shipping/Ports | Outlook

Article E-Mail :: Comment :: Syndication :: Printer Friendly Page

Stories in this Section
New low-cost aircraft charter model taxis for take off

AI closer to raising equity base to Rs 945 cr

British Airways move to help Indian SMEs

Mundra Port gets letter of intent for non-LNG facilities at Hazira

‘Kolkata, Vizag ports could work together on container traffic’

Vizag port strike continues