Kolkata Port to Remain Shut for Six Days

Nepali businessmen most affected due to sudden shutdown

Kolkate Port Trust will halt export business from the port for six days beginning Thursday, citing excessive pressure of containers at the port.

Import and export from the port has been affected repeatedly for the last one month as the old and dilapidated equipment at the port has not been able to cope with the increasing pressure of containers.

The port trust wrote to its customers about the closure from Thursday. Vicechairman of Birgunj Chambers of Commerce and Industry Ashok Kumar Baidhya said the Kolkata port has sent a letter to the chamber informing about the closure. The port trust has said that regular business will resume only after clearing the yard during the closure.

The closure has affected importers as well as exporters as Kolkata port is the only port Nepal has access to for thirdcountry exports and imports. The container pressure went up at the port after the load/unload lifting machine stopped working.

The disturbance at the port has left goods of over 6,000 containers, which were about to be ferried to Nepal from Kolkata or were about to be exported to third countries, stranded in ships. Of them, half the containers belong to Nepali traders, Baidhya said.