The Chittagong Port witnessed imported container congestion afresh mainly due to slow delivery of cargoes that forces many ships to remain idle at berths with a possibility to increase their stay time, vessel operators alleged.
A port official said 24,000 FCL (full container load) containers were stockpiled at different yards against their total capacity of 21,000 FCL containers. On the day there were nearly 29,000 containers in the port, including empty, FCL and LCL (less than container load), against its total capacity of 30,000 containers.
A senior official working at the traffic department of the port told the FE: "The port is struggling to accommodate a large number of inward cargoes since August 20."
He said this is a common phenomenon during the Eid when cargo delivery drops drastically.
The port's operation remained closed for one day on the occasion of the Eid-ul-Fitr. But, the process of container movement became slow after the Eid, as the customs, shipping and other officials concerned enjoyed a long holiday, affecting both shipment and delivery, he added.
Besides, congestion in the port takes place during long vacations, as traders prefer to keep their cargoes at the port yards, where rent is comparatively lower than that of the privately-owned depots.
Sources said the number of delivered imported containers was 500 on an average during the vacation. Usually, traders take delivery of more than 2,000 containers a day.
Tanveer Ahmed, an executive of Galaxy Shipping Lines, said the waiting period to unload cargoes at the port has increased by at least one day following the congestion.
He said: "Many ships were barred from taking berths, and some others were barred from unloading, following scarcity of space in the port."
The port officials, however, said the situation will not worsen further, as the delivery process of imported cargoes is gradually accelerating after the Eid.
Source: The Financial Express