Rough weather disrupts cargo handling

25 June 2010, 18:00 PM

Staff Correspondent, Ctg

Rough weather forced suspension of cargo handling at the outer anchorage of Chittagong port since early hours of yesterday. As the sea became rough due to the impact of low in the Bay of Bengal, handling of cargo became difficult when lighter vessels could not reach the ships at the outer anchorage, said the sources. Water Transport Coordination Cell (WTCC), an organisation that coordinates lighter vessels movement, assigned some 40 lighter vessels for loading and offloading of goods at 19 ships at the outer anchorage. But, the lighter vessels, which were already engaged in cargo handling, were forced to stop work and come back while the other even could not reach the outer anchorage due to rough weather, said WTCC Executive Director Commodore (Retd) Abu Zaher Nizam. “Some 40 lighter vessels are now staying at the safe shelter of Ghat No. 15 for resuming handling after the weather becomes calm,” Commodore Nizam said while talking to The Daily Star at 7:00pm. Met Office sources said deep convection taking place over north bay was resulting in squally weather that affected the maritime ports and coastal areas. All maritime ports at Chittagong, Cox's Bazar and Mongla have been advised to hoist local cautionary signal No 3.