The Chennai Port Trust (CPT) is worried about the lack of growth in container handling, especially when nearby ports are wooing local traders. While Kattupalli port is on the verge of commissioning its facility, Krishnapatnam port has already started canvassing its facility with the Chennai businessmen.
Ennore port too is waiting for the bidder to finalise their financial position to start container terminal construction work.
While Chennai port has seen about three per cent drop in container handling in the first three months of this financial year compared to same period last year, CPT chairman Atulya Misra said, the drop in handling is not a worry, but, what is appalling is the port is not seeing new customers.
“If customers are not happy with one container terminal, they are moving to the other terminal inside CPT itself. But we are not seeing growth as expected,” he added.
However, he said global recession and European slowdown could be the reasons for drop in container handling. “The port faced a similar situation in 2003, when there was an international recession,” he said, adding that all ports in the country had seen about five per cent drop in container handling last quarter.
He also noted that congestion on the port access roads and inside the two terminals could have also affected cargo movements at Chennai port. While noting that the exporters and importers faced problems in transporting containers to and fro the port in the last few months, he added and said everything in the port was under control now.
However, trade members said the export cargo loaded trailers were still waiting in serpentine queues on Tiruvottiyur-Ponneri-Panchetti (TPP) road. “We are not sure why there is still congestion when there is less queue inside the two terminals,” a trade member added.