The Hindu Business Line : New Mangalore Port posts 12% growth

Mangalore, Jan. 2 The New Mangalore Port witnessed a growth of 12 per cent in overall traffic and 32 per cent in container traffic during the first nine months of the current financial year.

The port handled 26.91 million tonnes of traffic as against 24.03 mt in the corresponding period of the previous fiscal.

Mr P. Tamilvanan, Chairman of New Mangalore Port Trust (NMPT), told Business Line that cargoes such as coal, limestone and iron ore pellets and rail-bound cargo recorded more than 100 per cent growth during the period, contributing significantly for the overall traffic growth.

For the first time, 10,000 tonnes of maize will be exported to Dubai through the New Mangalore Port next week, he said.

Box traffic

Mr S. Gopalakrishna, Traffic Manager of NMPT, said that the port handled 15,437 TEUs (twenty-foot equivalent units) of containers during April-December of 2007-08 as against 11,692 TEUs in the corresponding period of the previous fiscal.

Commencement of operation of two more feeder lines — Seaways Shipping and Relay Shipping — resulted in more number of schedules for the speedy movement of containers.

There is an indication that the Singapore-based PIL (Pacific International Lines) may extend its main line container service from East Africa to Mangalore. He said that this would help raw cashew importers, as there will be reduction in transit period.

To attract the main line container operators, the port has extended a 25 per cent reduction in vessel-related and cargo-related charges.

RAIL-BOUND CARGO

The rail-bound cargo movement at the port doubled during the period. The port handled 43.56 lakh tonnes of rail-bound cargo during the first nine months of the fiscal as against 21.47 lakh tonnes handled during the corresponding period of the previous year, recording a growth of 103 per cent.

OTHER CARGOES

Coal cargo witnessed a growth of 101 per cent, limestone 513 per cent and iron ore pellets saw a growth of 346 per cent during the period, contributing significantly for the increase in cargo handling at the port. LPG cargo witnessed a growth of 18 per cent, Mr Gopalakrishna added.