JNPT loses 32% tonnage after rain silts channel

The Jawaharlal Nehru Port Trust, which handles more than half of the country's container traffic, is in troubled waters due to massive siltation caused by heavy rains.

The port is losing 7,000 to 8,000 twenty foot equivalent units (TEUs) of containers every week during the monsoon on account of its decision to restrict entry to ships of up to 11.2 metres draught.

This means a 32 per cent drop from its normal handling of 25,000 TEUs a week.

JNPT handled 2.67 million TEUs of container traffic during the last financial year, marking 12.46 per cent growth over the previous year. The port has decided to reduce the draught (depth) for ships during the monsoon to 11.2 metres, against the normal 12.5 metres, due to siltation in Mumbai's shipping channel.

This means that bigger and deep-draught ships have to discharge nearly 700 TEUs before coming to JNPT, or load less.

"The revenue loss, as per conservative estimates, on a single voyage for a shipping company due to this draught restriction is over Rs 2.52 crore," industry analysts said.

Industry players said the abrupt reduction of the shipping channel at JNPT would have a massive commercial impact on vessel operations.

"Ships that are arriving in the Mumbai region with loads planned on the previously declared draught must necessarily offload the excess weight at an intermediate port," said CS Manohar, president, Mumbai and Nhava-Sheva Ship-Agents' Association.