The Hindu Business Line : New Mangalore Port to step up cargo handling

To achieve this, the port has planned several projects, including the construction of a multipurpose deep-draft berth and development of dry dock and ship repair facilities.

Addressing members of the Institution of Engineers (Mangalore centre) and the Kodagu, Dakshina Kannada and Udupi Engineers' Association in Mangalore on Tuesday, Mr S.V. Madbhavi, Superintending Engineer (Projects), New Mangalore Port Trust (NMPT), said that the port is capable of handling 29.5 mt of traffic.

He hoped that the 40 mt target could be met by 2011-12.

Mr Madbhavi said that work on the multipurpose deep-draft berth is in progress and is likely to be completed by October 2005. To be built at a cost of Rs 44.54 crore, the berth can handle cargoes such as iron ore, coal and fertiliser. The total capacity of the berth will be around five mt per annum.

There is also a plan to develop a dry dock with facilities for repairing ships and other floating crafts. To be built at a cost of Rs 85 crore, 32 ships can be repaired at the dry dock in a year. Nearly 70 per cent of the capacity of this dock can be occupied in the first year itself. This facility is planned near the boundary wall of the Mazgaon Dockyard Ltd site.

Quoting studies on the container cargo traffic in the country, Mr Madbhavi said that the container handling capacity of the port would be around 2.5 mt by 2006-07. However, huge backup area is required for the development the container terminal at the port. The port handled 95,974 tonnes of container cargo during 2003-04. There is scope for the development of six berths for container cargo handling, he said.

However, he stressed the need for the development of allied infrastructure such as railway line to the hinterland to achieve the 40-mt target. At present, iron ore is being brought from Hospet, Bellary and Tumkur areas in trucks. Transporting the ore in trains is the freight advantage option than the road transport system. The port can handle 7.5 mt of iron ore cargo a year, he added.