Container handling on rise at Ctg port; congestion likely to ease by next week

After a period of significant congestion caused by the quota reform movement, the situation at Chattogram port is gradually improving as the port's container handling has increased, bringing hope to the authorities and traders that the congestion will ease within the coming week.

After two rounds of container gridlocks, the port has started handling a higher volume of container deliveries. From 8am on 7 August to 8am on 8 August, the port successfully handled 3,924 TEU (twenty-foot equivalent unit) containers which was within the range of containers that the port handles under normal conditions.

Chattogram port handles between 3,500 to 4,000 TEU containers daily.

This rise in activity is viewed positively by port officials and traders, who believe the situation will improve further within the coming week as road traffic and policing measures stabilise.

The port's container yard, with a storage capacity of 53,518 TEU, requires a load of 30,000 to 32,000 TEU for optimal operations.

However, recent disruptions, including the student movement and internet shutdowns, led to a backlog, with over 44,000 TEU containers stored in the yard. As of 6 August, the yard held 44,117 TEU containers.

Md Omar Faruk, secretary of the Chittagong Port Authority, said the congestion issue would be resolved within a week if container deliveries continue at the current pace.

Meanwhile, railway authorities have indicated that container storage levels could be further reduced if rail transportation from Chattogram port resumes.

Abdul Malek, chief yard master of the Chittagong Goods Port Yard (CGPY), said rail transportation, which briefly resumed in early August, was halted again after just three days.

As of yesterday evening, no further instructions had been received regarding the resumption of goods transportation by rail, though there is hope it will restart soon.

Delays for geared vessels on the rise

Meanwhile, the waiting time for vessels at Chattogram port's outer anchorage has also increased, particularly for geared vessels.

These vessels, equipped with their own loading and unloading equipment, face longer delays compared to gearless vessels, which rely on the port's infrastructure.

Chattogram port operates two terminals – New Mooring Container Terminal (NCT) and Chittagong Container Terminal (CCT) – both equipped with gantry cranes to handle gearless vessels, allowing for loading and unloading within 24 hours.

However, the General Cargo Berth (GCB) lacks these cranes, forcing geared vessels to use their own equipment, which extends the process.

As of yesterday, the port's berthing sheet showed that 18 vessels were waiting to enter the port jetties, with five of them being geared vessels.

These five vessels have been anchored at the outer harbour since 2 August but have not yet secured berthing, leading to increased waiting times at the port.