Bowing to the demands of exporters and importers, the Chennai Port Trust (ChPT) has decided to revamp the age-old main entrance (zero gate) at the Kasimedu fishing harbour, which has been the main cause of congestion.
For year, the zero gate or gate no.1 had only two leaves for entry and exit of containers and general vehicles and it was recently expanded to six leaves – three each for entry and exit respectively, while gate 10 also had two leaves.
As the port was experiencing a 25 per cent increase in container volume for the last few years, it was decided to construct new facilities at the main entrance and thereafter to dismantle or demolish the existing compound wall, steel gates, two wheeler stand, CISF shed, watch tower, toilet buildings, customs and CISF buildings.
Talking to The Hindu , a senior ChPT official said that currently ChPT provided six openings at the zero gate by breaking the compound wall. Even then, the truck drivers or cleaners had to climb down from their vehicles at each point to get their consignments cleared from concerned officials. It was a time-consuming affair.
Owing to the rain battered roads on the Ennore-Manali stretch, it took more than two days for vehicles on several occasions to reach the main gate. The availability of restricted entry/exit points and the formalities followed by CISF and Customs officials further delayed the consignment, thereby adding to the congestion. Following which, Chennai Trade Recovery surcharge was levied by shipping lines. Since then, ChPT has been taking several steps to ensure that congestion did not recur. “It would take months for the four-lane Ennore Manali road to reach S.N. Chetty Street. However, we are preparing ourselves to complete the widening of 1.6 km from S.N. Chetty Street to main entrance and revamping the existing one,” the official said.
By taking a cue from the trade, ChPT officials have decided to construct a modern facility with eight gates on the lines of a toll plaza at zero gate near Kasimedu fishing harbour and at Gate 10, opposite War Memorial. Besides, ChPT engineers are also engaged in identifying bottlenecks within the port area to solve them at the earliest. The new facility would be ready within a year, for which a pre-bid meeting will be held with the interested parties on Monday. “The idea here is to drastically reduce the waiting time of trucks at the entry/exit point. We have designed the check points in a scientific way to ensure that the drivers or cleaners need not have to get down from the vehicles. The new lanes will ensure that the vehicles moved continuously and there was no opportunity for lane jumping,” he said.
“Till recently, the ChPT did not have a magnificent edifice like other ports either at zero gate or in other places. This would provide a new look to the 131-year-old port,” said a logistics provider.
