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After posting a fall in total cargo handled during 2012-13, the Visakhapatnam port has shown a drop in cargo in the first half of current fiscal too.
In the first half of current fiscal (H1), the port handled 28.9 million tonne cargo as against the 30.3 million tonne capacity it had handled a year ago, which shows a shortfall of 1.4 million tonne.
With the economic slackness to continue, "it would be difficult for the port to reach the shipping ministry's targeted 70 million tonne capacity for the full year," said a senior official of Vizag port.
During 2011-12, the port handled 67.40 million tonnes cargo, but due to several factors this fell by 8.2 million tonne to 59.13 million tonnes in 2012-13.
Product-wise, during H1, petroleum products handling stood at 6.96 million tonne compared with last year's 7.83 million tonne. Iron ore handling was 6.27 million tonne as against 6.45 million tonne. Coal and fertilisers too have shown some shortfall. The port handled 2.53 million tonne cargo by containers as against 2.36 million tonnes in the previous year period.
Kakinada port shows growth
However, Kakinada deep water port saw some growth in cargo handling. During first half of this year, the port handled 7 million tonnes of cargo as against 6.1 million tonnes, thus an addition of 0.9 million tonnes.
Commodity-wise, it handled 2.5 million tonnes of coal, 1.3 million tonnes of granite blocks, 1.1 million tonnes of fertilisers.
"During 2012-13, Kakinada port handled 12.01 million tonnes of cargo, whereas by the end of this fiscal, we are expecting to touch 14 million tonnes," Kakinada port sources told.
