The Hindu Business Line : NMPT box, fertiliser cargo handling up 75%

Decision to introduce a feeder line service between NMP and Jawaharlal Nehru Port and the commissioning of Hassan-Mangalore railway line have helped the port to increase throughput in container, fertiliser segments.

Mangalore , July 7

The New Mangalore Port Trust (NMPT) has shown an impressive growth in container and fertiliser cargo handling during the first quarter of the current financial year.

Decision to introduce a feeder line service between the NMPT and the JNPT for container cargo and the commissioning of the Hassan-Mangalore railway line for freight traffic have helped the port to increase throughput in these areas. The port handled 57,806 tonnes of container cargo in the first three months of 2006-07 as against 33,054 tonnes in the corresponding period of the previous year, recording a growth of 74.88 per cent. The number of TEUs (20-foot equivalent units) increased to 3,757 (2,216) during the first quarter, registering a growth of 69.54 per cent.

It may be mentioned here that the port authorities had held meetings with container operators and exporters in Bangalore on May 24 regarding introduction of feeder container service between the New Mangalore port and the JNPT.

Following this, the JNPT authorities had assured to provide a window service at JNPT for the feeder line starting from NMPT. Port officials attribute this as one of the reasons for increase in container traffic at the port.

Fertiliser cargo

The port handled 1.51 lakh tonnes of fertiliser cargo in the first three months of the current fiscal as against 80,808 tonnes in the corresponding period of the previous fiscal, recording a growth of 87.49 per cent. The port users attribute this to the commissioning of the Hassan-Mangalore railway line for freight traffic. The railway line opened for freight traffic on May 5.

Mr Shekhara Poojari, Assistant General Manager of Aspinwall & Co Ltd, said that there is a good demand for fertiliser in Karnataka and neighbouring States, and most of the fertiliser companies now prefer NMPT to distribute the cargo in the hinterland. The movement of fertiliser cargo from Mangalore has increased by nearly four times after the commissioning of Hassan-Mangalore railway line for freight traffic. However, he suggested that the port take steps to tide over the scarcity of godowns for fertiliser cargo.

OVERALL SHOW

In spite of good performance in container and fertiliser cargo traffic, the port has registered a decline of 15.09 per cent in the total cargo traffic. The port handled 7.20 million tonnes (8.48 million tonnes) of cargo in the first quarter.

The iron ore pellet cargo throughput of Kudremukh Iron Ore Company Ltd (KIOCL) from the port has come down following the closure of the mining operations at Kudremukh. KIOCL has stopped mining operations at Kudremukh following a Supreme Court direction in this regard. The port handled 1.17 lakh tonnes (5.72 lakh tonnes) of iron ore pellets in the first quarter.

Added to this, Mangalore Refinery and Petrochemicals Ltd — an important port user — took a major maintenance shutdown during the first quarter. This led to reduction of crude oil and petroleum product throughput at the port.

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