VOC Port Authority arranges 90 000 sqm land for shipping lines amid West Asia crisis

New Delhi, Mar 12 (PTI) VOC Port Authority has made an arrangement of additional 90,000 square meter of space for shipping lines to keep their containers in the wake of the ongoing West Asia crisis, its Chairman Susanta Kumar Purohit said on Thursday.
     The official made the remarks while replying to a question on the sidelines of PHDCCI conference on shipbuilding and ship recycling.
     "We have given additional land to our customers where they can keep their goods safely beyond the time limit," Purohit said, sharing preparations made to deal with the situation of container diversions.
     However, the land remains unutilised as of now as operations and business at the port have not been affected, he said.
     He said all major ports are in constant touch of the Ministry of Shipping, terminal operators and shipping lines.
     Speaking further, the Chairman said the government is taking efforts to develop India as a hub of shipbuilding and ship recycling.
     The move will help save resources and increase availability of raw materials for ship building, he said.
     VO Chidambaranar Port (VOC Port) is one of the major ports in India, located at Tuticorin in the southern part of Tamil Nadu, with an annual cargo handling capacity of 82 million tonnes per annum (MTPA).
     It is also one of the oldest operational ports, with trade links dating back to 123 AD.
     Purohit said he "expects 9-10 per cent year-on-year growth, a huge growth container traffic at VOC Port".

(This story has not been edited by THE WEEK and is auto-generated from PTI)