Date:03/08/2007 URL: http://www.thehindubusinessline.com/2007/08/03/stories/2007080350120700.htm

Back Bihar floods hit Concor’s direct services

Between Kolkata and Birganj ICD

Our Bureau

Kolkata, Aug. 2

The floods in Bihar have hit Container Corporation of India’s (Concor) direct services between the Kolkata port and the Birganj inland container depot (ICD) in Nepal.

Three Birganj-bound rakes, each loaded with containers with imports routed through the Kolkata port for Nepal, have remained stranded at various points on the route.

Two BLC rakes, each with 90 TEUs, are stranded at Motihari and Jhajha in Bihar while the third one, an ordinary rake with 72 boxes, at Palla Road in Burdwan district of West Bengal.

A Kolkata port-bound rake carrying 90 empties is also detained at Raxaul.

Inquiries, however, reveal that with flood waters receding, early resumption of services should be possible.

Resumption soon

The rakes detained at Motihari and Raxaul will be allowed to resume movement soon.

Between April and July this year, the container throughputs on the route was 4,711 TEUs as compared to 3,158 TEUs in the same period last year, thus posting around 49 per cent growth.

The floods in Assam, however, have so far not affected Concor’s services between the Kolkata port and the Amingaon (Guwahati) ICD, the sources add.