Chennai, Tuticorin ports gearing up

CHENNAI and Tuticorin ports are gearing up to handle large quantities of wheat imports (in bulk). The consignment are likely to start arriving from next month.

Both the ports, which have handled raw sugar (in bulk) in the last few months, have made necessary infrastructure arrangements to handle the import cargo, officials told Business Line.

According to Mr N.K. Raghupathy, Chairman, Tuticorin Port Trust, the port's advantage is being a clean port and it is the best to handle foodgrain.

The port can handle 15,000 tonnes a day with three cranes. This means a vessel with 40,000 tonnes of wheat can be discharged in three days, he said.

A Chennai Port Trust official said wheat vessel would be given berth on arrival and would be allotted West Quay berths, which are clean. The port too handled raw sugar in bulk.

There would not be any contamination and any effect on the cargo due to the coal dust, the official said.

There is also enough space inside the port to store wheat and do packaging.

The port trust would provide cranes, grabs and storage spaces while the stevedores would bring in tippers and machines for packing, the official said.

Source: The Hindu