The Hindu Business Line : Kolkata Port volume rises

BETWEEN April 2003 and January 2004, the Kolkata Port Trust (KoPT) handled a total volume of 33.39 million tonnes (Haldia dock 26.94 m.t. and Kolkata Dock System 6.45 m.t.) compared with 29 million tonnes (Haldia 23.52 m.t. and KDS 5.48 m.t.) in the same period of the previous year, thus achieving in absolute volume a growth of 4.39 m.t., the highest among all Indian ports, according to KoPT sources.

During the same period, KDS alone posted a rate of growth of 17.72 per cent, the highest among all Indian ports, the sources said.

The commodities that contributed to the growth include crude, vegetable oil, logs, LPG, iron ore, coking coal and containers, they added.

KoPT hopes to handle a total volume of around 40 m.t. (an estimated 31.5 m.t. at Haldia and 8.5 m.t. at KDS) in 2003-'04. In 2002-'03, the port handled 35.8 m.t. (Haldia 28.6 m.t. and KDS 7.2 m.t.).

For KoPT, January 2004 was a good month with the monthly cargo throughput reaching an all-time high at 4.322 m.t. (Haldia 3.004 m.t. and KDS 1.318 m.t.).

The previous monthly best was 4.241 m.t. achieved in November 2003. In January 2003, the port handled a total of 3.422 m.t., the sources pointed out.