Business Daily from THE HINDU group of publications
Friday, Aug 04, 2006
Business Daily from THE HINDU group of publications Friday, Aug 04, 2006 |
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Logistics
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Railways Industry & Economy - Natural Calamities Freight movement on two East Coast Rly lines suspended Santanu Sanyal
Highlights Kottavalasa-Kirandul line, Koraput-Rayagada line are the affected lines Relief trains being sent to affected areas Normal operation at Paradip disrupted due to inclement weather
Kolkata , Aug. 3 Freight movement on two major freight-loading railway lines under the East Coast Railway (ECR) has been suspended following landslides caused by the heavy rains in large parts of Orissa. The affected lines are the 450-km-long Kottavalasa-Kirandul (K-K) line and the 173-km-long Koraput-Rayagada (K-R) line. The K-K line is used for transporting iron ore from Bailadila mines to Visakhapatnam, partly to meet the requirement of the steel plant of Rashtriya Ispat Nigam Ltd (RINL) and partly to the port for exports. On an average 10 to 11 rakes, each rake comprising 56 BoxN wagons, move in each direction. In one direction it is fully loaded rakes and in the other direction only the empties. The K-R line, on the other hand, mainly handles coal in one direction to meet the requirement of the National Aluminium Company's (Nalco) plant in Damonjodi and alumina in other direction. About five rakes move in each direction. Part of the alumina produced in the Damonjodi plant goes to Nalco's smelters at Angul near Cuttack and part to Visakhapatnam port for exports.
Relief trains
Inquiries with ECR reveal that relief trains are being sent to the affected areas but the work on the rehabilitation of the stretches breached (in all six places, which include, among others, Chimidipalli on KK line and Bhalumasaka on KR line) cannot be started until the rains stop.
High wind speed
Meanwhile, normal operation at Paradip port too remained affected for the past two days because of the inclement weather. The cyclonic storm coupled with incessant rain lashed the port. The wind speed was more than 80 km per hour. The cyclone warning number three was hoisted by the authorities of Paradip Port Trust. Normal cargo handling work could not be undertaken. The average daily throughput of the port is estimated at 95,000 tonnes. Only about two-thirds of it could be achieved in past two days. The port authorities did not dare to operate the cranes at such a high wind speed. The hatches of ships in berths could not be opened due to rain. Also, there was a power failure, plunging not only Paradip into darkness but also the entire northern coastal Orissa, which has been battered by heavy rains and storms. More important, the ship movement was hit. There are now 10 ships at the berths, with four others waiting outside. At least two of them, due for arrival on Wednesday, could not be brought inside the impounded dock. Also, the departure of vessels was delayed.
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