Vizag port posts 21% growth in cargo handling

Visakhapatnam port registered a growth of about 21 per cent in cargo handling in the first quarter of the current fiscal.

During April-June 2005, the port handled 133.09 lakh tonnes of cargo, as compared to 110.05 lakh tonnes in the corresponding period of the last fiscal, up by 23 lakh tonnes.

In the 2004-05 fiscal, the port handled more than 500 lakh tonnes of cargo, and for the fifth consecutive year, achieved the premier port status among all the major ports in the country. It is aiming at handling about 550 lakh tonnes of cargo in the current fiscal.

In the first quarter of the current fiscal, Vizag port handled 36.06 lakh tonnes of POL products, 35.08 lakh tonnes of iron ore, 19.26 lakh tonnes of coking coal and lam coke, and 7.54 lakh tonnes of fertilisers and fertiliser raw materials, as compared to 30.66 lakh tonnes, 26.31 lakh tonnes, 14.21 lakh tonnes and 3.03 lakh tonnes respectively in the corresponding period of the last fiscal.

"Increase in imports of fertilisers, thermal coal, coking coal and lam coke helped the port achieve about 21 per cent growth in cargo handling in the first quarter of the current fiscal," K Ratna Kishore, chairman of Visakhapatnam Port, told Business Standard.

Several mine owners are relying on Vizag port for iron ore exports. Owing to this, iron ore exports too increased significantly in the first quarter, he added.

According to DSK Dattu Raju, traffic manager at Vizag port, National Aluminium Company and Bharat Aluminum Company started importing steam coke through Vizag port from this year.

"Vizag-based NTPC Simhadri Power Plant too started importing thermal coal from this year, while Steel Authority of India Limited (SAIL) enhanced its coking coal imports through the port. All these factors contributed to the increase in cargo handling," Raju said.