The Kolkata Port Trust (KoPT) handled record container traffic of 41,379 TEUs in August this year, the highest monthly throughput achieved so far, surpassing the previous best of 40,220 TEUs handled in February this year, according to Dr A.K. Chanda, Chairman of KoPT.
In a statement issued here on Friday, Dr Chanda pointed out that the growth in throughput in August this year was 13 per cent over August last year when the port handled 36,634 TEUs.
The dock-wise break-ups show the Kolkata Dock System handled 28,128 TEUs in August this year compared to 25,813 TEUs in February this year and 27,562 TEUs in August last year. The corresponding figures for Haldia dock were 13,252 TEUs, 14,407 TEUs and 9,072 TEUs respectively.
In August this year, the coking coal throughput at Haldia at 7,71,695 tonnes too was the highest monthly throughput achieved so far. Compared to August last year, when the dock handled 5,07,000 tonnes, the growth was 52 per cent.
The previous best coking coal throughput of 6,46,146 tonnes was achieved by the dock in May 2005, the statement added.
Cumulatively, however, the throughput has been higher so far vis-À-vis the same period last year. Between April and the first week of September of this year, the total iron ore traffic handled by the port was 9.2 mt, compared to 8.2 mt in the same period last year. Clueless
The port sources, though worried, are not sure of the real reason for the drop in iron ore traffic. “We’re the service provider and so we do not know the actual reason for the decline in ore traffic, but we hear that the international demand for iron ore is down and with it the world price of the iron ore, hence the drop in exports,” the sources add.
Date : 13/09/2008
Courtesy : Businessline
