A glut of freight waits on the ships
Gradual delivery of goods has generated space shortage at the Chattogram port and a long queue of vessels at the external anchorage within the last few days.
At noon yesterday, about 20 container vessels were found ready at the external anchorage.
The Chattogram Slot Authority (CPA) has stalled giving berths to the vessels since April 2 despite the fact that there are vacant jetties since it struggles to accommodate the new arrivals in the limited space.
It really is now allowing just a few new vessels to get berths each day and just 5 to 6 vessels are allotted to stay in the jetties when it has 11 jetties to support 11 container vessels.
For instance, the vessel OEL Colombo attained the external anchorage on April 3 but was yet to get berth by yesterday.
The CPA has given permission to the ship to get berth on April 9, according to Md Ajmir Hossain Chowdhury, head of businesses and logistics of the vessel's operating firm MSC Mediterranean Delivery Company Bangladesh.
The countrywide activity restriction since March 26 to regulate the spread of coronavirus has created a transport crisis which has slowed the delivery of import cargoes and caused acute container congestion inside the port yards.
The quantity of import-laden containers lying in various yards hit 44,191 TEUs (twenty-foot equivalent units) yesterday morning hours against the room for 37,620 TEUs.
The condition is also worsening in the yards designated for reefer containers, which carry perishable goods like fruits, onion, garlic, ginger, fish and other folks.
By yesterday, about 3,032 TEUs of reefer containers were lying at the interface yards, against the capability of 1 1,620 TEUs.
So acute may be the space shortage that the CPA has started keeping some of the import containers at the automobile shed.
It has additionally started shifting a number of the reefer containers to the under-construction overflow yard outside the interface, said CPA Secretary Md Omar Faruk.
Moreover, the CPA in Sunday announced giving 100 per cent waiver on store hire for import containers that will be taken off the port during the shutdown. But the measure also didn't ease the congestion.
Since March 26, the average daily delivery came right down to only one 1,500 TEUs from 4,911 TEUs previously.
If the situation will not improve by next week, the vessels' waiting time could exceed 10 days, explained Muntasir Rubaiyat, head of businesses of GBX Logistics, whose two vessels -- OEL Bangladesh and OEL Hind -- are now waiting for berths.
