Nhava Sheva congestion may last till November

The port of Nhava Sheva, is the second largest container port in India and repairs and replacement of gantry cranes are reducing terminal capacity by 50%, which is expected to possibly last until October or November.

Container traffic through India’s Nhava Sheva Port (JNPT) is facing bottlenecks due to a significant capacity reduction, which has been fuelled by the closure of a berth operated by APM Terminals (APMT) Mumbai, also known as Gateway Terminals India (GTI), to upgrade and replace gantry cranes.

As part of a US$115-million investment programme APMT are installing six ship-to-shore cranes and three larger rail-mounted quay cranes in place of the existing QCs, which will improve their ability to handle larger vessels and enhance container handling capacity to 2.2 million TEUs.

In addition to APMT, the port has two terminals operated by DP World, one by PSA and one by a new consortium led by CMA Terminals.

The number of weekly vessel calls that GTI is able to accommodate has fallen to six, from the normal 13 and carriers are facing challenges securing berthing windows, which is forcing them to change gate cut-off hours for cargo carting, with terminals facing congestion from increased volumes.

As a result of the congestion, move counts are limited and concerns are growing that vessels may miss connections and cargo roll-overs for exporters may follow, if the congestion escalates.

Export gate-in times may be reduced and waiting times will increase due to road congestion and a shortage of containers is possible as empty discharge from vessels will be limited.

We have seen the situation worsen over the last fortnight, with traffic congestion building on approach roads to every terminal. See our gallery images below.

It can take some drivers up to 10 hours to reach the entry gate due to the traffic, which is  why export containers are being shut out, import containers delayed and long waits for empties.

Our vehicles cannot avoid the congestions, but we are liaising with port officials to ensure that import deliveries are effected within the terminal’s free period and export containers are gated-in before cut-off, to connect with their respective vessels.

We are monitoring the evolving situation and working closely with our local network partners, to protect our customers’ supply chains. If you are currently shipping through Nhava Sheva, or are thinking of developing business in the Indian subcontinent, please EMAIL Elliot Carlile, who will be able to offer guidance and recommendations.

Our network and expertise extends across the ISC, with established operations in Pakistan, India, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh, supporting customers across a variety of verticals, who are sourcing from and exporting to the region.