The Hindu Business Line : Kolkata port occupies 2nd place in traffic handling

KOLKATA port has edged past Chennai port to occupy the number two position among all major ports in terms of traffic handled till November of the current fiscal.

Visakhapatnam port, however, continues to retain its number one position. Kandla port, which was number two earlier, has slided to the fourth position.

Till November, Kolkata port handled 28.04 million tonnes against 31.95 mt handled by Visakhapatnam, 27.71 mt by Chennai and 27.09 mt by Kandla. Dockwise breakups will show that during the period Kolkata Dock System (comprising Netaji Subhas dock and Kidderpore dock) handled 4.78 mt against 4.17 mt in the same period last year thus posting more than 14 per cent growth and Haldia dock 23.26 mt (21.23 mt), or a growth of about 9.5 per cent.

Total throughput during the period thus 28.04 mt (25.40 mt) showed a growth of more than 10 per cent.

Kolkata Dock System's another significant achievement had been the highest-ever monthly container throughput of 15,527 TEUs in November.

Cumulatively, till November, the container throughput at KDS was 104,171 TEUs posting a growth of 30 per cent over the same period last year.

At this rate, KDS sources hope the total container throughput at KDS might exceed the targeted 1,50,000 TEUs by March 31, 2005, as against 1,40,000 TEUs achieved in 2003-04.