The two caved-in berths at Karachi Port Trust (KPT), which had fallen in August 2007 at the East Wharf of the country's largest harbour, still need almost a year more to become functional, it has been learnt. Shipping activities continue to remain suspended at the collapsed portion since then, although KPT had undertaken the rebuild work on the caved-in site in 2008. The cause of their collapse had been cited as being overage.
The berths' rebuilding project cost is Rs 5.5 billion and is totally funded by KPT, sources said, adding that completion would take till March or April 2012. Rebuilding of berths Nos 10 and 14 had to be completed by August this year but work still continues, according to port officials. They said that the three other joint moorings including 11, 12 and 13 had been reconstructed and were operational where import and export cargoes are being handled.
They said the Trust had earlier declared the joint three berths sensitive despite the fact that they were standing even after the two had collapsed in the torrential rains of 2007. "Altogether, KPT had declared nine berths, from 10 to 17A, as sensitive in 2005, as they had completed their life span," they said.
Regarding disturbance of shipping activities after the segment went idle, they said that KPT had rearranged space and docked the vessels elsewhere at the harbour to offset the negative impact of the collapsed site on the port's operations. The berths were constructed in 1960 with less than nine metres water depth level, officials said, adding that the new design for the moorings had set 16-metre water depth level to dock heavy vessels. With the timely completion of the three berths, KPT has become able to get additional cargo of wheat, rice for export and Sursoo for import, the seaport officials pointed out.
On the contrary, sources said, the berths' collapse had been caused by the Trust's badly conceived dredging system, besides dumping of heavy cargo on the decades-old platforms, which eventually led to its fall in heavy rains. Despite the fact that the berths had surpassed their lifetime limits, the Trust continued to overlook their existence and did not carry out their regular maintenance, which had increased their fragility to resist multiple effects.
KPT has 30 dry cargo berths and 560 metres quay wall at Napier Mole Boat Wharf for handling the country's crafts. Some 17 out of 30 berths are located on the Eastern Wharf strip while 11 berths are situated at West Wharf. The port has two private sector terminals--Pakistan International Container Terminal, located at East Wharf, occupying berths No 6 to 9; and Karachi International Container Terminal, located at West Wharf (berths 26 to 30). The Trust also manages three dedicated liquid cargo piers to handle petroleum and non-petroleum products. Its liquid products handling capacity is 24 million tons annually.