The Hindu Business Line : Vizag port hopes to reach throughput target by March

Despite not-so-satisfactory performance in the first half, the Visakhapatnam Port Trust, according to its Chairman, Mr K. Ratna Kishore, is hopeful of achieving the targeted throughput of 64 million tonnes (mt), as set by the Shipping Ministry, by March 2008 and thus retaining the number one position among the major ports.

In 2006-07, the port handled 56.85 mt. The Viskahapatnam port has been the country’s number one cargo-handling port for the past several years.

“Till today, we’re up by six mt vis-À-vis the same period last year and have achieved a throughput of 40.2 mt (34.2 mt in the same period last year) and it gives us a comfortable feeling”, Mr Ratna Kishore told Business Line.

“We handled more than 22 mt in less than five months in the second half of last year”.

Iron ore traffic

The VPT Chairman pinned his hope on iron ore, crude and coal, coke and various other items.

“We hope to handle iron ore traffic of 18.5 mt this year against the 16 mt target set by the Ministry”, he said.

This would be achieved even as the flow of iron ore traffic from the Bailadila mines left much to be desired.

The Maoist problem continued to hit the normal rail transportation of ore from the National Mineral Development Corporation’s mines.

The crude traffic this year, as he pointed out, would be up by about two mt to reach the level of 20 mt (18 mt). The import of fertiliser raw materials too would increase by one mt.

Coal

Among other items whose throughputs were set for an increase included thermal coal – an estimated 3.5 mt as compared to the targeted three mt – and coking coal – an estimated 8.2 mt as compared to the targeted 7.7 mt.

“In the first half, Kandla overtook us but from this month, we hope to surpass Kandla”, the VPT Chairman said pointing out that the edge Kandla had over Visakhapatnam due to additional oil traffic would no longer be there.