Congestion and poor infrastruscture have severely affected business operations at the Kolkata port. There has been a steep decline in ship movement even as the port remains open, despite earlier announcements of it being shut down till October 17.

The situation at the dock is grim with all trailer-tractor trucks and four reach stackers being out of order for some time. Also, sources in the Kolkata dock say that vehicles may have to wait at the anchorage till as late as October 17, before the congestion backlog clears.

To worsen the situation, the port authorities have announced a draught cut of 0.4 metres inward and 0.2 metres outward as a result of which all Kolkata dock - bound vessels will now have to discharge their cargo at the Haldia dock.

“It is time the port authorities take stock of the situation and augment their logistic support. The lack of space and the sharp cut in the draught have added to the woes of shippers as many vessels are unable to enter the dock,” said a shipping official.

Ramesh Agarwal, vice-chairman, Pulses Importers’ Association, added: “The loss due to the present shutdown is to the tune of thousands of crores. Kolkata and Haldia docks are the gateway to the East. The port authorities are trying to downplay the present problem. With Kolkata dock shut and Haldia dock already suffering from draught problems, the situation is quite grim. We have suggested port authorities to form a temporary task party to solve the problem.”