Vizag port cargo handling up

Visakhapatnam port, which is under the shipping ministry, handled 2.5 million tonne additional cargo during the just concluded financial year March 31, 2011, as compared with last year.

However, the port fell short of the ministry’s target by 2 million tonne. The shipping ministry had set a target of 70 million tonnes for Vizag port, but it closed the year with 68 million tonne. Port sources said they were facing competition from Gangavaram port. “More than 4-5 million tonne cargo had shifted to Gangavaram deepwater port,” they said.

In 2009-10, the port handled 65.5 million tonne cargo. Of this petroleum products accounted for 19.2 million tonne, iron ore and pellets 19.1 million tonne, coking coal 7.3 million tonne, thermal coal 3.5 million tonne, fertilisers and fertiliser raw material 4 million tonne, container cargo 2.5 million tonne and other cargo stood at 12.1 million tonne.

Meanwhile, cargo handling increased by 1 million tonnes at Gangavaram port. The port handled 14 million tonne cargo in the 2011 fiscal, as against 13 million tonnes in 2009-10.

Kakinada seaport, on the other hand, witnessed about 500,000 tonne decline in handling as compared with 2009-10 when it handled 10.4 million tonne. “This fall was mainly in iron ore. In 2009-10, we handled about 2.5 million tonne iron ore and this declined to 1 million tonne in the just concluded fiscal. However, other cargo like coal, fertilisers and granites increased by 1 million tonne,” port sources said.