Container traffic up 79% at Mangalore port

The New Mangalore Port handled 32.04 million tonne of cargo "" 17.92 mt in imports and 14.12 mt in exports"" during fiscal 2006-07.

According to port chairman P Tamilvanan, 1,015 vessels were handled at the port during that period. The container traffic registered 79.25 per cent growth over the previous year.

The railway traffic also showed an improvement at 30.18 lakh tonnes as against 15.23 lakh tonnes the previous year. Coffee, reefer cargo, wax candles, coal, fertiliser, LPG, limestone movements also showed considerable improvement.

The total revenue of the port was set to cross Rs 240 crore. To attract more cargo, the port had slashed wharfage rates by 10 to 20 per cent.

Attributing effective marketing strategies and enhancement of facilities at the port as the reasons for the stupendous growth, Tamilvanan, observed that the stay order on KIOCL had brought down export cargo of iron ore concentrates and Pellets from 34.57 lakh tonnes in 2005-06 to 5.84 lakh tonnes in 2006-07.

The handling of 18 cruise vessels during the present year was another notable achievement.

In an interactive session with the media here on Thursday, Tamilvanan said the port would launch a cruise lounge soon at a cost of Rs 2.05 crore. The port was now an equity partner contributing Rs 10 crore to the Hassan-Mangalore Rail Development Company Limited (HMRDC), he said.

Among the other projects of the port are setting up of a mechanised iron ore handling facilities at berth No 14, development of coal-handling facilities for captive user and deepening of the harbour.