The Hindu Business Line : Kakinada Old Port throughput crosses 3 m. t.

It is boom time for both the ports at Kakinada — the Old Anchorage Port under the Andhra Pradesh Government and the new deepwater port managed by a private consortium — and together their throughput crossed the 15-million-tonne mark in 2006-07. In particular, the Old Anchorage Port did exceedingly well during the financial year gone by, crossing the three-million tonne mark for the first time.

According to Mr D. Surya Rao, president of the Cocanada Chamber of Commerce and Industry, it is a remarkable achievement by the port, handling 3.6 million tonnes, with the rice exports alone accounting for 1.9 million tonnes.

"The Gole Committee report put the maximum handling capacity of the Kakinada Old Port, with the existing infrastructure, at three million tonnes. For the first time, the port has crossed it. If the Government improves the facilities, and introduces semi-mechanisation, the port can do much more," he said.

Another heartening feature was that after a long time the exports of de-oiled rice bran (2.34 lakh tonnes) resumed during the year from the Old Port, said Mr Surya Rao.

"The prospects for the Old Port are good. The number of steel barges will have to increase. At present, there are 88 barges and the port needs at least 25 more. There is no need for apprehension that this is only a flash-in-the-pan and it will not last. All ports are busy, and we have to prepare for the future," he said.

The deepwater port, being managed by the Kakinada Seaports Limited, handled 12 million tonnes, with the trans-shipment cargo accounting for more than 5 million tonnes.

The deepwater port could also attract iron ore exports on a large scale and wheat imports on a much smaller scale (handling two shipments of more than a lakh tonnes). The fourth berth is under construction at the deepwater port. During 2006-07, 694 vessels called at both the ports.

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