New Mangalore Port has handled record quantity of containers in a single voyage, according to port officials.
Mr S. Gopalakrishna, Traffic Manager of New Mangalore Port Trust (NMPT), said that a record quantity of 1,710 TEUs (twenty-foot equivalent units) of containers were handled in the container vessel — m.v. Tiger Mango — which called at the port on May 28.
He said that this is the highest number of containers ever handled at the port from a single voyage. The earlier record was 1,512 TEUs handled on November 9, 2011 from m.v. Tampabay.
Of the 1,710 TEUs, 995 were import containers and 715 export containers.
According to a port trust release, a majority of import containers were raw cashew. Export containers included coffee, cashew kernels, fish and fish products, and candles.
The port handled 7,818 TEUs till May 31 during 2012-13 against 7,281 TEUs handled during the corresponding period of the previous financial year, registering a growth of 7.37 per cent.
Quoting Mr P. Tamilvanan, Chairman of NMPT, the release said that the port is witnessing a steady growth in container traffic.
He attributed this to the proactive marketing efforts made by the port management and to the infrastructure addition in the last few years.
vinayakaj@thehindu.co.in