Ctg Port now free from congestion

FE Team | Published: October 09, 2007 00:00:00 | Updated: February 01, 2018 00:00:00

Jasim Uddin Haroon
The country's premier Chittagong port, for the first time in recent time, remains free from container congestion ahead of the Eid-ul Fitr due mainly to the enhancement of storing capacity.
Earlier, the port used to experience acute container congestion during this particular period because of the delay in taking delivery of imported goods.
"We do not have any congestion this time, rather we have vacant spaces for storing around 4000 more containers," Zahid Hossain, terminal manager of Chittagong port authority (CPA) told the FE Tuesday over phone.
But, port officials hinted that the problem of congestion might resurface soon after the Eid vacation.
They, however, said the CPA has taken measures to keep the port yards free from congestion during the period.
"We are planning to reduce the number of empty containers at 500 during Eid vacation so that there remains no congestion at that time," Enamul Karim, assistant terminal manager of the CPA told the FE.
Port officials said the port had only 17325 containers as of Tuesday against the holding capacity of 22651 containers.
Of them, 17323 were import containers, 2300 empty and 60 export containers.
Sources said that a new container yard - G-yard will be commissioned before the Eid to facilitate additional storage of around 1100 containers.
Besides, the port commissioned another yard having capacity of 900 containers few months back.
Another yard with a capacity of storing 450 will also be commissioned later this month, port sources said. The yard has been named D-yard.
They also said construction work of another yard at the central workshop area in the port is going on fast and it will be commissioned sometime in November next.
Senior port officials also said the CPA is planning to keep around 4000 containers at the back-up area of the New Mooring Container Terminal (NCT) in December.
Currently, the CPA is storing around 7000 containers at the back-up area of the NCT.
Port sources said the storing of containers at the NCT will continue until it is handed over to the private management after the bidding scheduled for next year.