The Hindu Business Line : Kolkata port posts 15% traffic growth

THE Kolkata Port Trust (KoPT) has posted nearly 15 per cent growth in traffic in 2003-04 over 2002-03 compared with the national average of (all major ports taken together) 9.89 per cent.

During the year, the total traffic throughput of the port was 41.05 million tonnes (mt) compared with 35.8 mt in the previous year.

Dockwise break-ups show that Haldia dock handled 32.36 mt (28.6 mt) with a growth of 13.13 per cent and Kolkata Dock System (KDS) 8.69 mt (7.2 mt) with 20.7 per cent.

"Among all major ports, KoPT ranked third position for the second year in succession in terms of traffic volume", said its Chairman, Dr A.K. Chanda, while addressing a seminar on `Kolkata port — Perception & reality' organised by Mohana, the cultural wing of the port, on the occasion of the National Maritime Day here on Monday.

"We lost the second position to Kandla port by a whisker, the gap being only of the order of four lakh tonnes", Dr Chanda observed.

In the past couple of years, the traffic at KoPT increased by 10.6 mt or more than 5 mt each year on an average. "If the present trend continues, not only in our port but also in other ports, we will be close to the number one, i.e. Visakhapatnam Port Trust, by March 31, 2005," he said.

The country's highest cargo handling port, Visakhapatnam, handled 47.74 mt in 2003-04 compared with 46 mt in 2002-03, thus positing a small growth.

"In terms of growth in traffic, KDS was second only to New Mangalore port which posted 24 per cent growth," Dr Chanda said.

KDS, in his view, would have posted a still higher rate of growth but for the non-availability of railway rakes in sufficient number for transportation through the ports. "The Railways' priority in respect of allotment of rakes has shifted more towards domestic movement," he added.