The Hindu Business Line : NMPT posts 27 pc growth in cargo traffic

NEW Mangalore port handled a record traffic of 33.89 million tonnes during 2004-05 against 26.67 mt during the previous year, registering a growth of 27.06 per cent.

The Chairman of the New Mangalore Port Trust (NMPT), Mr P. Tamilvanan, has termed this as the highest growth rate among the major ports in the country.

Addressing presspersons here on Friday, he said that the port has achieved 22.04 per cent increase over the target fixed by the Ministry.

He attributed the increase in the volume of traffic to the increased handling of iron fines and lumps; petroleum, oil and lubricant (POL) crude and products; and containerised cargo.

The port handled 5.58 mt of iron ore fines/lumps during 2004-05 against 1.67 mt.

The port handled around 20 mt of oil cargo. During 2004-05, it handled 1.36 lakh tonnes of container cargo (8,943 TEUs) against 95,974 tonnes (6,927 TEUs) in the previous year.

Future plans: Mr Tamilvanan said that the port has taken up the construction of a multi-purpose deep-draft berth in view of the large volume of iron ore and coal cargo to be handled at the port.

The berth, with a draft of 14 metres, will be extended up to 17 metres in future. The berth, which can accommodate 1.25 lakh DWT (deadweight tonnage) vessels, can handle three lakh million tonnes per annum of cargo. The work on the berth is likely to be completed by January 2006, he said.

The Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC) is serious about setting up an LNG facility. Already the port trust has conducted a study on the location of the LNG terminal. "The terminal is going to come. It is only a matter of time," he said.

He said that the port is keen on a special economic zone (SEZ) in the area. The Karnataka Government, the Kanara Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KCCI) and the ONGC have signed an MoU in this regard. "We have been asked to join them," he said.

To a query on setting up a bunkering facility in Mangalore, he said the National Ship and Design Research Centre has done a study in this regard. "They have said that it is feasible for Mangalore port to have a bunkering facility. That proposal also has been sent to the Government," he said.

Stating that at present ships have to go to either Kochi or Goa for any repair work, he said the port has done a study on the development of a dry dock facility. It has sent a proposal to the Government on developing it on BOT basis.

NMPT has also prepared a Rs 400-crore plan to deepen channel and lagoon area in the port, he added.

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