Kolkata Port second in cargo handling

Kolkata Port has emerged as the second largest cargo handling port in the first eight months of this financial year among all major ports.

Cargo handling at Kolkata Port rose from 25.406 million tonne (mnt) in April-November 2003 to 28.046mnt in the same period of 2004, up 10.4 per cent.

Vishakhapatnam's volume rose to 31.950mnt from 30.979mnt.

Chennai handled 27.711mnt up from 23.489mnt last year.

Kandla carried 27.092mnt, up from 26.857mnt last year.

Kolkata is hoping to close the year with 45mnt from 41.26mnt in 2003-4 and 35mnt in 2002-3.

The port witnessed 60 per cent growth in two years. Only Vishakhapatnam port handled more cargo.

Traffic in Kolkata rose following reduction in port related charges coupled with strong demand for iron ore and steel from Chinese buyers.

Kolkata regained this rank after a gap of 37 years.

Growth in cargo was likely to be sustained for the entire year, but port officials said it could not afford to be complacent as movement of crude oil, the highest tonnage cargo at Kolkata, was likely to disappear in two to three years following the change in procurement pattern of Indian Oil Corporation's Haldia refinery.

Infrastructure at both dock complexes, Kolkata and Haldia, were stretched and major users were asking for more facilities.

"The port is adding facilities to de-congest, but some facilities may be rendered idle once the Haldia-Paradip pipeline comes up," M A Bhaskarachar, deputy chairman (Kolkata) said.

IOC handled about 10 million tonnes of cargo through the port.

Arup Bose, general manager (materials) of Haldia Petrochemicals Ltd (HPL), a major user of the port, said congestion at some Haldia terminals was a major problem.

Sabyasachi Sen, principal secretary, commerce and industries, government of West Bengal, said the port had to do more to help trade.

"The port is procuring two RMQs and four RTGs at Haldia so that containers can move faster," Bhaskarachar said in response.