The Chennai port has suspended vessel operations at the main terminal till Monday after being badly hit by back-to-back strikes and increasing pile-up of containers. According to official sources, nearly 8,000 containers are now inside the port, The Times of India reports.
"If we continue the operations, the container storage will exceed the limits. It will take at least four days for the normalcy to return. So we decided the hold back the vessels till April 2 until we clear the pending cargo," a port official said.
The Chennai Container Terminal Limited (CCTL), one of the two container terminals at the port, has decided to stop all operations on Thursday after the clash between a transport staffer and Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) personnel.
CCTL is the major container terminal at the Chennai port, while the second terminal is maintaining routine operations.
Chaos has ruled the port since Saturday last when transport clerks followed by container truck drivers struck work for different reasons. The strike was following the arrest of a truck driver for wrong delivery of a consignment and the manual checking of each container by customs delayed the process further.
Though the agencies and the department concerned have tried to settle the strike, it went on till Thursday resulting in a large pile-up of containers. The flash strike of transport clerks was withdrawn on Thursday afternoon after a discussion among CISF, transporters and terminal authorities.
Due to the suspension, at least six vessels will have to wait in the outer anchorage till Monday. Port officials said a few vessels bound for Chennai have already cancelled their trips. Chennai port handles three to five vessels a day in its two container terminals. Vamsi Reddy, a freight operator based in Chennai, said the main terminal has been closed for clearing up the pending cargo. Port officials said they will have to bring down the container storage to 3,500 from 8,000 for normal operations and clearances.
"The allowed cargo carting period of three days and clearances of cargo documents (normally 800-1,000 bills are cleared in a day) will play a major role in improving the situation. Once we start operations, we will permit berthing two vessels at a time," said the official.
"If bad roads and poor connectivity trouble us outside the port, shortage of customs staff delays the clearance of documents inside," said a customs house agent.
"If we continue the operations, the container storage will exceed the limits. It will take at least four days for the normalcy to return. So we decided the hold back the vessels till April 2 until we clear the pending cargo," a port official said.
The Chennai Container Terminal Limited (CCTL), one of the two container terminals at the port, has decided to stop all operations on Thursday after the clash between a transport staffer and Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) personnel.
CCTL is the major container terminal at the Chennai port, while the second terminal is maintaining routine operations.
Chaos has ruled the port since Saturday last when transport clerks followed by container truck drivers struck work for different reasons. The strike was following the arrest of a truck driver for wrong delivery of a consignment and the manual checking of each container by customs delayed the process further.
Though the agencies and the department concerned have tried to settle the strike, it went on till Thursday resulting in a large pile-up of containers. The flash strike of transport clerks was withdrawn on Thursday afternoon after a discussion among CISF, transporters and terminal authorities.
Due to the suspension, at least six vessels will have to wait in the outer anchorage till Monday. Port officials said a few vessels bound for Chennai have already cancelled their trips. Chennai port handles three to five vessels a day in its two container terminals. Vamsi Reddy, a freight operator based in Chennai, said the main terminal has been closed for clearing up the pending cargo. Port officials said they will have to bring down the container storage to 3,500 from 8,000 for normal operations and clearances.
"The allowed cargo carting period of three days and clearances of cargo documents (normally 800-1,000 bills are cleared in a day) will play a major role in improving the situation. Once we start operations, we will permit berthing two vessels at a time," said the official.
"If bad roads and poor connectivity trouble us outside the port, shortage of customs staff delays the clearance of documents inside," said a customs house agent.