Record cargo handling at Vizag port

The Visakhapatnam Port has created a new record by handling 50 million tonnes of cargo during the fiscal ended March 31, 2005. Among the 12 major ports in the country, Vizag port has become the first port to have achieved this remarkable feat.

The port's cargo handling increased by 2.29 million tonnes last fiscal. During 2004-05, the port handled about 50.02 million tonnes of cargo as compared to 47.73 million tonnes in 2003-04.

"In spite of a significant drop in transshipment cargo, we could achieve this only because of a huge increase in the exports of iron ore," K S D Dattu Raju, traffic manager, Visakhapatnam Port, told Business Standard.

During 2003-04, the port handled 7 million tonnes of petroleum products and crude oil transshipment cargo. Though the transshipment cargo dropped to 3.9 million tonnes during last fiscal, the port achieved an overall growth of 4.7 per cent in total cargo handling.

"Last fiscal, we recorded a notable growth in iron ore exports. During 2003-04, the port exported 12.29 million tonnes (both mechanical and non mechanical handling) of iron ore as compared to 16.48 million tonnes during last fiscal," Raju said.

Due to a drop in steel products exports by the Visakhapatnam Steel Plant, the Vizag port has lost nearly 10 lakh tonnes of cargo. During 2003-04, 13.06 lakh tonnes of steel products and pig iron were exported through the Vizag port, whereas during last fiscal, only 3.26 lakh tonnes of steel products were exported from here.

The port has also registered a significant growth in container cargo handling during last fiscal.

"The port handled 6.18 lakh tonnes of container cargo as compared to 2.77 lakh tonnes during 2003-04. In the last fiscal, the port exported 6.47 lakh tonnes of granulated slag as compared to 2.26 lakh tonnes during 2003-04," Raju said.