20000323

Dangerous Goods

shed opening at

West Wharf hailed

RECORDER REPORT

KARACHI: Major port users associations have described the opening of a new 'Dangerous Goods (DG) Shed; at West Wharf as extremely helpful in saving undue costs and barge hire, double handling and transportation charges.

The Karachi Stevedores Conference (Guarantee) Limited's (KSC) President Cyrus R. Cowasjee in a message to the Chairman of Karachi Port Trust (KPT) said that the D.G. Shed facility at West Wharf was overdue and efforts of all concerned departments of KPT were highly appreciated by the KSC.

The General Secretary of Karachi Customs Agents Group (KCAG) said that the efforts of the KPT traffic department were praiseworthy in making this possible, thus ending a very chronic problem faced by the trade. It is expected that the work load would ease resulting in reduced congestion at D.G. Shed at East Wharf which would certainly prove to be beneficial for both the trade and economy.

Modern Terminal Operators (MTO) in a letter to the KPT Chairman, Vice Admiral Khalid M. Mir said that it was not a smooth sailing for dangerous cargo containers discharged at West Wharf earlier as it enhanced the operational cost by hiring barge for carrying such containers to East Wharf.

Sabir Hassan, managing partner of MTO said that the new D.G. shed at the West Wharf would eliminate congestion at the old shed at East Wharf and also the risk of fire. It also resulted in delaying the issuance of NOC as it took time to transport the containers from West Wharf to East Wharf.

Karachi International Container Terminal (KICT) has congratulated the KPT implementing a project which would significantly save the cost of Dangerous Goods handling. Previously, D.G. containers were discharged on to a barge for removal across the harbour which involved additional cost of barge and cranes. With the completion of a new shed at West Wharf the D.G. containers could easily be transported by trucks thus resulting in saving in substantial cost of handling, the KICT official added.