Sail on, we ain't in a safe port yet

India’s ambition to have the region’s favourite port of call may take some time to be realised.

The Economic Survey 2004-05 has termed as “worrisome� the decline in performance of Jawaharlal Nehru Port Terminal (JNPT), which accounts for over half of India’s container traffic. It has called for improvement in container evacuation infrastructure and modernising of road and rail connectivity between ports and the hinterland to relieve congestion.

Comparing JNPT to international ports, the survey points out that Hong Kong Port processed 20.1 million TEUs (20-foot equivalent units) in 2003 and Antwerp processed 5.4 million TEUs, while JNPT handled just 2.3 million TEUs. The survey doubts if JNPT’s third container terminal — which would increase throughput by 1.3 million TEUs — would place the port in the top 10 ports slot.

Calling for an “adequate� policy framework that would promote inter-port and intra-port competition, the survey says: “An increasing shift towards a model where the port is a landlord and multiple port operators are in place to compete within the port may be the way forward.“
The survey is, however, optimistic that investments in ports would continue on a substantial scale.