* Situation not alarming, but CONCOR taking swift remedial measures
* 2 new neighbouring ICDs may be notified soon
The increased rail pendency at Jawaharlal Nehru Port (JNP) of late is because of the congestion at inland container depot at Tughlakabad (ICD-TKD) and should be sorted out soon due to the steps being taken by the Container Corporation of India (CONCOR).
According to sources, the pendency has reportedly risen to nearly 13,000 TEUs since the beginning of this year, with nearly 75-80 per cent of the boxes bound for TKD. CONCOR, however, is taking steps to alleviate the situation.
While it has been operating its average regular number of trains to and from the Port, it has taken the key measure of offering to move the containers, if there is high pendency at the Port, to nearbyfacilities such as Dronagiri and Mulund by road at no extra cost, and then moving them to TKD as the situation eases there.
It has also been encouraging the trade/shipping lines to book the boxes to other ICDs near TKD, such as Dadri and Rewari. Two new ICDs near TKD, Ballabhgarh and Sonepat, are awaiting Customs notification and should be operational soon.
Some in the trade, however, believe that this is easier said than done, as TKD is a very popular facility having the locational advantage of being in a key catchment area.The problem with TKD, they point out, is that it currently has no room to expand and, therefore, cannot handle an overflow of containers. Besides, it has limited scope to service more than a certain number of trains every day.
Even if more land is made available at TKD, the problem of evacuation will remain through the existing roads, because it will be difficult to operate more trailers since they may worsen the traffic situation in Delhi. ICD-TKD has a maximum capacity of 400,000 TEUs per annum and handled 435,000 TEUs last fiscal.
The trade as well as Port authorities are, nevertheless, hopeful that these steps will ease the pendency situation. It has not reached alarming levels at the Port and hasn’t affected operations, but the trend is not good, it is pointed out.
Source: Exim News Service, Navi Mumbai, 17 May 2010