Syama Prasad Mookerjee Port (SMP, Kolkata), the erstwhile Kolkata Port Trust, is hopeful of surpassing the pre-pandemic levels in cargo throughput during the current financial year at 65 million tonnes (mt). The port registered12 per cent growth in cargo throughput during April-September 2022 and handled 30.53 mt of cargo, against 27.33 mt in the same period last year.

According to Vinit Kumar, Chairman, SMP, Kolkata, the port had registered a cargo throughput of 64 mt during 2019-20, which was one of the highest in its 151-year history. This fell to around 58 mt in 2020-21 due to Covid-induced slowdown. .

“The working season starts from October and in Q3 and Q4 we generally see a rise in cargo throughput. We should be able to surpass the figure of 64 mt which we had registered in 2019-20,” Kumar told newspersons at a press conference here on Friday.

During April-September 2022, Haldia dock (HDC) handled 22.84 mt of cargo, against 20.26 mt last year (an increase of 13 per cent), while Kolkata dock (KDS) handled 7.68 mt (7.06 mt) a growth of around nine per cent.

Traffic improved at HDC in respect of POL (crude), LPG, manganese ore, other ore, rock phosphate, limestone, coking and non-coking coal and petroleum among others while KDS registered growth in respect of vegetable oil, other liquid, raw materials of fertilizer, iron and steel, pulse, coking coal and limestone.

However, the port witnessed a decline in container traffic during the said period. It handled 3,44,691 TEUs during April-September 2022, against 3,80,675 TEUs in the same period last year, a decline of around nine per cent.

“Our container traffic was down as imports had come down particularly from China. There was also some indirect impact of the Russia-Ukraine war as shipping rates had gone up. However, rates have been coming down and we expect traffic to improve moving forward,” he said.

Cruising centre

 SMP, Kolkata is looking to develop Kolkata as a leading cruising centre in the eastern region by developing three-to-four cruise terminals at an estimated investment of around ₹76 crore. The project would entail riverfront beautification and commercial development on a 31-acre plot at Khidderpore.

It is also developing an extended gate terminal at Balagarh at an estimated investment of ₹323 crore for smoother dispensation of traffic aimed at avoiding congestion of the city. It is currently conducting in house studies to develop a viable financial model.

The port trust, which maintains the iconic cantilevered Howrah bridge, also plans to give it a facelift by installing a giant video screen on the bridge and a laser light show that can be beamed on to the bridge.

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