Cyclone Tauktae has forced the Indian port of Pipavav to shut, putting increased strain on the country’s shipping networks. Pipavav, operated by APM Terminals, said it had declared force majeure and would suspend operations until 1 June, following the cyclone making landfall last week along the coast of Gujarat in the north-west.
With winds up to 115 mph, Tauktae is categorized as “extremely severe” and is one of the worst Arabian Sea-cyclones to hit India in a decade. Pipavav said there had been no major damage to port infrastructure, but its power supply and communication links had been disrupted.
In addition, due to the resurgence of a COVID-19 outbreak, Mallory Alexander is seeing these issues reported in India:
- All ports and CFS stations are operating, but with limited staff.
- Indian Customs is working limited crews on a rotating basis at ports and airports.
- Many passenger airlines have withdrawn service to India, which is decreasing the availability of air cargo space. Freighters are still operational, but must be secured with an advance booking. Airport cargo ground handlers are working on a rotating basis.
- There are no restriction for vehicle movements (intra and inter-state). However, truckers are only accepting advance bookings with all appropriate documentation ready.
Sources: The Loadstar, Mallory Alexander Global Network