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Our Bureau

Kolkata , Feb. 8

PARADIP Port handled more than one million tonnes (mt) of iron ore for export in January, the highest-ever iron ore throughput achieved in any month.

Cumulatively till January, the throughput was 7.22 mt, representing a more-than-62-per-cent growth over the 4.4 mt in the same period last year. At this rate, it is hoped that the port will end the current fiscal with a throughput of more than nine mt compared with the less than six mt in 2003-04.

Of the total 7.22 mt handled till January, an estimated 4.28 mt was handled in the port's mechanical berth and the remaining 2.94 mt manually. The corresponding figures till January 2004 were 3.21 mt mechanically and 1.23 mt manually. However, one disturbing feature of the rising iron exports has been large-scale road movement of the ore from the mines to the port. During the period under review, more than four mt were transported by road, throwing up congestion, pollution and various other problems. More importantly, a much costlier fuel is being burnt to carry a cheaper mineral.

Fertiliser raw materials and coking coal are two other items whose throughputs posted impressive growth so far in the current fiscal. Till January, the throughput of fertiliser raw materials, at 2.18 mt (1.18 mt), registered an 84-per cent growth and that of coking coal, at 2.85 mt (2.01 mt), a 41-per cent growth.

Meanwhile, the port, for the first time, handled granulated iron slag for export. About 26,000 mt were exported recently to Bangladesh by Nilachal Ispat. The indication is that there may be one such shipment every month, port sources added.

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