The Chennai port handled 55.71 million tonnes of cargo during 2011-12. This was a decline of 9.63 per cent when compared with the previous year mainly due to stoppage of iron ore and coal handling.

Despite losing the two cargo, the port has not incurred a heavy financial loss. The port generated an operating income of Rs 620 crore with an operating surplus of Rs 36 crore. The net surplus for the year was Rs 6 crore.

Container traffic registered a 2.22 per cent increase to 1.55 million twenty foot equivalent units. Next to JNPT, Chennai is the second largest container handling port in the country, says a Chennai Port Trust press release.

Mr Atulya Misra, Chairman, Chennai Port Trust, said that the decline of cargo throughput was mainly on account of stoppage of handling iron ore and coal as per direction of the Madras High Court. However, this has been offset by sustained growth in containers, cars and other cargo such as project cargo, dolomites, steel coil and plates. Due to the shifting of the two cargo to Ennore port, a major portion of land area available within the port premises has now fallen vacant. To utilise the space and improve the port's cargo traffic, the Shipping Ministry constituted a two-member committee under the Chairmanship of Capt P.V.K. Mohan, Chairman, National Shipping Board. Based on the committee's recommendation, the Port Trust has called for expression of interest for 22 identified schemes, he said.

>raja@thehindu.co.in

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