Accumulation of cargo has made Paradip Port’s stacking area full, compelling it to ask the Railway Board to allot more empty rakes to facilitate evacuation of the cargo

One of the better performing major ports of the country, Paradip Port, is finding itself in troubled waters, thanks to accumulation of cargoes at all its rakes. This has made the port’s stacking area full, forcing the Paradip Port Trust (PPT) to ask the Railway Board for allotment of more empty rakes.

“If more empty rakes are not placed at the port at the earliest, more cargo will pile up at the port. This will make ships carrying bulk cargo like coal wait for their turn to unload the cargo. Consequently, there may soon be a congestion at the port,” says R Ghosh, manager of ES Bose & Company, a mid-sized stevedoring company in Paradip, Orissa.

Imported coal is one of the prime bulk cargoes accumulating at the Paradip Port. Reportedly, about 2 million tonnes (mt) of imported coal, both thermal and coking, are lying piled up at the port. According to PPT, the port needs an additional five empty rakes every day to evacuate the piled up cargo.

Small logistics cos concerned too

The concern is not only of the port, but also the logistics players engaged in cargo handling at the port. Mostly SMEs, these players are also unable to conduct their operations due to the piling up of cargo at the Paradip Port.

“Unless the accumulated cargoes are evacuated soon, it is not possible for us to take up other consignments. If unloading of cargo from ships gets delayed, we would not be able to carry out our responsibilities and would miss our delivery deadlines,” says Mahesweta Panda, proprietor of Info India Logistics Provider, a small-sized logistics company in Bhubaneswar, Orissa.

Given that small logistics firms strive to survive the cut-throat market competition and match up to the standards set by the big players, a loss in business can certainly hurt them immensely. Therefore, evacuation of the accumulated cargoes at the Paradip Port is highly important from their perspective.

Prasenjit Das