Date:17/07/2008 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2008/07/17/stories/2008071759881200.htm

Tamil Nadu - Chennai

CWC creating more storage capacities

N. Anand

Container freight station coming up at Chromepet
The storage of Tuticorin, Hosur and Chidambaram warehouses is being expanded

CHENNAI: The Central Warehousing Corporation (CWC) is creating additional storage capacities in various parts of the State this year by investing Rs. 36 crore.

To start with, it is setting up a container freight station at Chromepet by investing Rs. 5 crore, followed by a Railside Warehousing Complex at Korukkupet (Rs.12 crore) and a general warehousing complex at Cuddalore (Rs. 4 crore). And storage capacities of the Tuticorin, Hosur and Chidambaram warehouses are being expanded at a total cost of Rs. 15 crore.

“Of the 23 acres the CWC owns at Chromepet, five acres have been fenced and modified for the new container freight station. The Inter-Ministerial Committee has given its nod, and Customs notification is in place. The new container freight station will have a storage capacity of 10,000 tonnes, and another 10,000 tonnes has been earmarked for the container yard. We have chosen Chromepet, since it is closer to the airport. It will be commissioned in a month,” CWC Regional Manager C.T. Thomas told The Hindu.

The work on the Railside Warehousing Complex at Korukkupet is ahead of schedule, and the facility will become operational by November 2008. This will be second such complex in Tamil Nadu, after the one at Koodal Nagar in Madurai.

“It is a special concept we are trying out here. The godown, 650 metres in length, will enable traders either to take delivery of or unload their goods in the godown. Similarly, a proposal has been placed before the board to set up railside warehousing complexes at Tondiyarpet, Tambaram and Royapuram,” he said.

Taking advantage of the Cuddalore minor port, the CWC is putting up a 30,000-square foot warehousing complex, with a 5,000-tonne storage, in the SIPCOT industrial area. It is being executed on a trial basis for which approval has been obtained. The Cuddalore, Tuticorin, Hosur and Chidambaram projects are expected to be completed this year.

“We have enough funds, and these projects will be financed with internal resources. Similarly, we don’t have a separate budget for a particular zone. The approval is given based on the proposals submitted,” Mr. Thomas said.