Port Qasim

Overview

Port Muhammad Bin Qasim

country	🇵🇰
pushpin map	Pakistan
location	Karachi-75020, Sindh
coordinates	24.76667°N, 67.33333°W
locode	PKBQM‡R1R‡
opened	September 1980
operated	Port Qasim Authority
owner	Ministry of Ports and Shipping and Government of Pakistan
type	Artificial
sizeland	12,200 acres
berths	15
employees	2,000 (1,576 Staff and 279 Officers)
leadershiptitle	Chairman
leader	Rear Admiral (R) Moazzam Ilyas
arrivals	1709 (FY 2020-21)‡R2R‡
cargotonnage	58 million metric revenue tons including 21.62 million MT of dry cargo and 19.968 million MT of liquid cargo (FY 2020-21)
containervolume	1,258,000 [TEU]s with tonnage of 16.405 million MT (FY 2020-21)
blankstatstitle1	Tidal Variation
blankstats1	0.5 to 3.5m (at channel mouth and port)‡R3R‡
blankstatstitle2	Deadweight Tonnage
blankstats2	75,000 DWT‡R4R‡
blankstatstitle3	Ranking
blankstats3	121st busiest container port (TEU Container Traffic) in 2007‡R5R‡
website	www.pqa.gov.pk

The Port Muhammad Bin Qasim ( Bandar-gāh Muhammad bin Qāsim), or Qasim Port Authority, also known as Port Qasim, is a deep-water seaport in Karachi, Sindh, Pakistan, on the coastline of the Arabian Sea under the administrative control of the Secretary to the Government of Pakistan for Maritime Affairs. It is Pakistan's second busiest port, handling about 35% of the nation's cargo (17 million tons per annum). Port Qasim and Karachi Port, the busiest port of the country, together handle almost 90% of all external trade of Pakistan. The remaining maritime trade is routed through Gwadar Port.

The port encompasses a total area of 12000 acre wherein many industrial zones operate. In addition to the Pakistan Steel Mills (PSM) and KESC Bin Qasim Power Plant, around 80% of the Pakistan's automotive industry is located at Port Qasim. The port also provides direct waterfront access to two major nearby industrial areas, Export Processing Zone (Landhi) and Korangi Industrial Area. Approximately 60% of country's export and import is originated from these areas. Port Qasim is managed by Port Qasim Authority, a semi-autonomous government body.[6]

History

In the 1970s, as a part of Pakistani Prime Minister

Environmental issues

Mangrove forest

Port Qasim is located on the northwest edge of the Indus Delta system. The system is characterised by long and narrow creeks, mud flats and the Indus River Delta-Arabian Sea mangroves, one of the largest mangrove forest ecosystems found in an arid climate. In 1972 eight species of mangrove trees were recorded from Pakistan,[16] however, only four continue to thrive. Several species of reptiles, birds, and terrestrial mammals inhabit the project area, wherever suitable habitats are found. These are constantly under threat due to increased shipping and industrial activities in the area.

WWF Pakistan has taken a mangrove conservation initiative recognising the social, ecological and economic significance of the mangrove forests in the coastal areas of Sindh and Balochistan. As a part of this, initiative has been taken on conservation of the mangrove ecosystem in the Korangi – Phitti Creek system, in the Indus Delta (including Port Qasim area). The project aims to conserve selected degraded mangrove forests in the Korangi – Phitti creek area through involvement of community, local schoolchildren and other stakeholders like Port Qasim Authority and the Government Forest Department.[17][18]

Tasman oil spill 2003 at Karachi Beach

In August 2003, the beach immediately west of the Port Qasim navigation channel was the scene of a major oil spillage when the Greek-registered Tasman Spirit ran aground. The environmental impact included large numbers of dead fish and turtles and a key mangrove forest, as well as dozens of people suffering nausea. At that time, it was feared that this incident will harm the coastal life in the Port Qasim area, however no major impact was observed near the Phitti Creek (waterway entrance to Port Qasim).[19]

Pollution-free terminal

Recently Port Qasim Authority (PQA) has announced that an implementation agreement is being signed for the development of a 'pollution-free' Coal, Cement and Clinker Terminal (CCCT) worth $175 million with a handling capacity of up to eight million tons per year at port. This step would save the environment from irreparable damages and the health of the port workforce and nearby populations from serious respiratory diseases which would have been a serious threat if the powdery coal was handled in open/bulk on berths at port.[20]

Port Qasim

History

Location

Land allocation for port and industrial zones

Terminal facilities

Expansion projects

Integrated cargo container control (IC3) facility

Environmental issues

Mangrove forest

Tasman oil spill 2003 at Karachi Beach

Pollution-free terminal

See also

External links

References