The recent spell of heavy rain in Kutch and Saurashtra has brought export and import operations to a grinding halt. In the last seven days, relentless downpours have caused severe waterlogging, making it impossible for vehicles to access ports. This has led to a significant pile-up of cargo, aggravating delays and affecting trade.
According to the Mundra Customs Brokers’ Association (MCBA), vehicles are unable to reach the port because roads are flooded.
“Numerous import shipments that have already arrived are now stuck, waiting to be cleared. The rain has not only delayed the import process but has also impeded exports, as port operations have been restricted,” said Manoj Kotak, secretary of MCBA.
“Due to the lack of vehicles and slow loading and unloading, turnaround time for shipments is getting prolonged for inbound and outbound goods,” Kotak added.
According to the Akhil Gujarat Truck Transporters’ Association (AGTTA), 25% of the estimated 11 lakh large transport vehicles plying in Gujarat are off the roads, due to poor road conditions.
“Heavy rain has battered transport operations across the country. Consequently, vehicle turnaround times have almost doubled. There is a minimum delay of two days for vehicles to reach their destinations, which has affected dispatches,” said Mukesh Dave, the president of AGTTA.
Monsoon-linked transport disruptions are rife in Vapi, Valsad, Vadodara, Surat, Bharuch and Ankleshwar in South Gujarat and in Junagadh, Jamnagar, Kutch and Porbandar districts of Saurashtra and Kutch.
“Vehicles are facing problems on National Highway 8 (NH8) due to diversions, traffic and poor road conditions. The situation is similar on certain roads in Saurashtra. The diversion between Ankleshwar and Panoli on NH8 causes nasty traffic snarls and hour-long jams,” Dave said.
