The Hindu Business Line : Haldia dock handles record traffic in Apr-Dec

Haldia dock sources attributed this growth to record handling of crude and petroleum products, iron ore, coking coal, fertiliser, and fertiliser raw materials.

Kolkata , Jan 12

IN the first nine months of the current fiscal (April-December), Haldia dock, one of the two dock systems of Kolkata port, handled a record 31.10 million tonnes (mt) of traffic, posting 17.58 per cent growth, which was the highest among all major ports in the country. During the period, the national average growth was 11.4 per cent.

Haldia dock sources attributed this growth to record handling of crude and petroleum products, iron ore, coking coal, fertiliser, and fertiliser raw materials during the period. Crude throughput during the period was 9.16 mt compared to 9.07 mt earlier, petroleum products 3.27 mt (2.56 mt), iron ore 5.97 mt (3.51 mt), coking coal 3.98 mt (3.92 mt), fertiliser 2.20 lakh tonnes (1.24 lakh tonnes), and fertiliser raw materials 4.01 lakh tonnes (2.7 lakh tonnes). The other items whose throughputs also posted increase included thermal coal 2.7 mt (2.34 mt), steel 7.18 lakh tonnes (4.36 lakh tonnes), liquid ammonia 1.03 lakh tonnes (69,000 tonnes), limestone 2.92 lakh tonnes (2.29 lakh tonnes) and phosphoric acid 3.35 lakh tonnes (2.34 lakh tonnes), and other liquid cargo 1.13 mt (1.05 mt).