The Hindu Business Line : Vizag port registers marginal dip in cargo handling

Visakhapatnam port has made a slow, steady start to the current fiscal, handling 12.5 million tonnes of cargo in the first quarter, slightly less than last year. As on date, the port has handled 13.33 million tonnes of cargo against 13.97 million tonnes last year.

During 2005-06, the port (the number one among the major ports in the country) handled 55.80 million tonnes and the target for the current year has been set at 60 million tonnes.

In view of the ambitious target, the performance of the port in the first quarter has been somewhat sluggish, but sources say it is bound to improve as the year progresses.

Last year, by the corresponding date, the port handled 43.12 lakh tonnes of iron ore and pellets and during the current year, it handled only 34.51 lakh tonnes. Iron ore and pellets are the principal bulk cargoes of the port, due to which it is able to be ahead of others during the past six years.

The port authorities have undertaken the work of strengthening the berths in the inner harbour and deepening the entry channel to facilitate the entry of the bigger vessels into the inner harbour. Currently, the dredging work, assigned to Dhatri Engineering Company, is going on and is scheduled to be finished in a few months.

Once the work is completed, the bigger vessels with 55,000-65,000 tonnes can be handled in the inner harbour, easing the congestion at the general cargo berth in the outer harbour.