KoPT targets 47 mt cargo traffic this fiscal

SHIPPING

Buoyed by the turnaround in the last two years, the Kolkata Port Trust (KoPT) has set a target of handling 47 million tonne cargo this fiscal.

This volume would catapult the riverine port to the number two slot among all major ports in the country.

KoPT handled about 41.1 mmt in financial year 2003. Visakhapatnam and Kandla ports handled 47 mmt and 41.5 mmt, respectively.

"There is no sign that the growth is plateauing out at KoPT. In the last two years cargo volume rose steadily by 15 per cent, better than the national average. We hope to maintain the upturn in this fiscal as well," said A K Chanda, chairman of KoPT. During last fiscal, traffic handling in Indian ports grew by 9.69 per cent on an average in 2003-04.

KoPT handled 30.4 mmt in 2001-02 and 35.75 mmt in 2002-03. The trend analysis of Visakhapatnam and Kandla ports indicated cargo volumes of 49 mmt and 43 mmt, respectively, in 2004-5.

"The saturation point for Kolkata port is yet to come. Even last year Kolkata could have done couple of million tonne more had there been no shortage of railway rakes," sources said.

The Kolkata Dock System (KDS) of the Kolkata port, considered to be least competitive operation within the port, added 1.5 mmt cargo.

In contrast, 0.9 mmt was added by Kandla and 1.7 mmt by Visakhapatnam. Cargo handled by KDS and Haldia Dock Complex (HDC) of KoPT would have been higher had there been adequate availability of rakes for foodgrains, iron ore and finished iron and steel products.

The port needed nine rakes a day, but got only 1.5 rakes on an average for HDC and no rakes from December onwards. Last year, KDS handled 8.693 mmt of cargo, up 1.492 mmt or 20.7 per cent over 7.201 mmt last year.

Last year the Haldia Dock Complex (HDC) handled 32.359 mmt cargo, up 3.756 mmt or 11.6 per cent over 28.603 mmt in the previous year.

In absolute terms, KoPT handled 5.248 mmt more cargo in the last fiscal over 2002-03. Volumes were driven by higher movement in POL, foodgrain, iron ore, met coke, finished steel items and containers.

However, the cause of concern for the Kolkata port is the proposed crude pipeline by Indian Oil Corporation (IOC) from Paradip to Haldia. If this comes up, a major chunk of cargo will be lost as IOC has been doing lighterage operation in deep sea areas.

IOC says the cost of handling is eating away profitability of the Haldia refinery. The total crude and product cargo handled at KoPT is about 11 mmt.

The port is now trying to broadbase its basket of cargo to face the possible shift of POL cargo.